Hearts Over Gotham City
by Cielita
Summary: With the attack on Raven behind them, the Titans carry on, but a surprise attack tests the limits of their strength and that of their friendships. Takes place a year after “Can You Stand the Rain?”. Rating changed due to violence. BBRae, RobStar, CyJ
1. Birthday and Betrothal

"Hearts Over Gotham City"

_Summary: With the attack on Raven behind them, the Titans carry on, but a surprise attack tests the limits of their strength and that of their friendships. Takes place a year after "Can You Stand the Rain?". Rating changed due to violence. BB/Rae, Rob/Star, Cy/J_

_Chapter 1: Birthdays and Betrothal_

"_Aimer, ce n'est pas regarder l'un l'autre, c'est regarder ensemble dans la même direction." To love is not to look at one another, it's to look together in the same direction. _

"BOOYAH!" Cyborg shouted, getting up from the couch and starting to dance. "Beat that high score, BB! Face it! I just TOTALLY SCHOOLED YOU!" The music of the video game chirped happily along as he danced, trying desperately to get Beast Boy's goat. To his utter annoyance, it wasn't working. Finally, Cyborg blew out a frustrated breath and flopped back onto the couch beside Beast Boy.

"You gonna tell me what's on your mind or do I have to guess?" Cyborg asked, exasperated. "I just seriously decimated your record in that game and you didn't even flinch." Then it dawned on him. A sly smile slid across Cyborg's face.

"Ah. I got it. You got Raven on the brain,"

"When don't I have Raven on the brain? She's like the world's most incredible girlfriend! She's independent, brave, and intelligent yet she can be sensitive and sweet. She can even be....passionate." Beast Boy hesitated on this last quality. Beast Boy avoided Cyborg's shocked expression.

"You two haven't..."

"Oh no!" Beast Boy cried, shaking his head. "I was referring to what happened Wednesday night."

What had happened Wednesday night was not a secret to the rest of the team. It was no mystery that now that Raven was having an easier go at keeping her powers under control, she was flexing a little more emotion than her friends were used to, but this had been downright crazy.

Beast Boy had been singing into a comb as he stood in front of the bathroom mirror after his shower, clad only in a dark green towel wrapped about his loins. The door to the bathroom slid open and quickly closed again, admitting Raven. Beast Boy froze mid-refrain in horror. How long had she been listening? Instead of scolding him for his lack of singing talent, Raven roughly pushed him up against the bathroom wall, pinned his arms over his head and issued him such a kiss as he had never had the privilege of participating in.

"I take it you found the roses?" Beast Boy had squeaked. She had simply swatted his backside and left the bathroom, lingering in the doorway long enough to tell him that the movie was starting at seven o'clock. Beast Boy had fainted and awakened still on the cold tile floor.

Remembering this, Beast Boy smiled. It had been a struggle to not turn into a puddle in her presence ever since.

"I love her, Cy," Beast Boy muttered.

"I know you do, little buddy. You're a lucky guy to have her, too," Cyborg replied.

"She deserves more than roses. I don't know if she's ready for what I'm thinking, though," Beast Boy said. From his pocket he pulled a blue ring box. Cyborg had to pick up his jaw off the floor.

"Is that what I think it is?" Cyborg gasped.

"Yeah, it is," Beast Boy said, opening the box. Inside laid a sparkling platinum banded diamond engagement ring. Cyborg whistled.

"Man, where'd you come up with that kind of cash?" Cyborg asked softly.

"You remember that jewelry store heist we stopped last month? I called in a favor," Beast Boy said. Cyborg took the box from Beast Boy and examined the diamond.

"This is a gorgeous stone, BB. What's this in the shape?" Cyborg wondered. The brilliant round cut of the stone was only part of the appeal. Beast Boy had had the diamond laser cut to reveal the shape of a bird in the center if one looked at it in the right light. Again duly impressed, Cyborg whistled.

"How you plan on poppin' the question?" Cyborg asked, still examining the bauble. Beast Boy only raised his eyebrows and winked before taking the ring back and leaving the room.

Raven's communicator went off fifteen minutes later, "Raven, can you come to the fifth floor lab please?" Beast Boy called. Confused, Raven complied. When she arrived, she was surprised to find Beast Boy bent over a microscope.

"I'm re-examining some of the evidence from the jewelry heist last month. Come take a look," Beast Boy said, coaxing Raven to join him by the instrument. Raven tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear and peered into the microscope. A soft, feminine gasp escaped her lips and she looked up at Beast Boy, his eyes wide with hope. Raven couldn't help seeing her entire life in them.

"Raven, will you marry me?" he whispered. Raven's heart skipped a beat.

"Yes!"

Beast Boy thought his heart had stopped all together as he fumbled to slide the ring onto her hand and then keep himself upright as she kissed him. It was more of a struggle than one would think.

"Beast Boy, this is beautiful!" Raven murmured, her arms still wrapped around his neck.

"That's not the best part!" Beast Boy said. He guided her hand beneath the lens of the microscope. "Look again."

"Is that?...it's a raven. You had a raven carved into my engagement ring?" she stuttered. She was awed beyond words. She kissed Beast Boy again, tears streaming down her cheeks. Raven pulled her communicator from her pocket and called for the rest of their friends. When they found out that Beast Boy and Raven were getting married, Starfire wept happy tears, Robin shook their hands and congratulated them, and Cyborg cheered.

"This calls for a special dinner. Let's go to the Blue Moon," Robin suggested.

"But Rob, that's a fancy restaurant; are you sure?" Cyborg asked.

"Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven are getting married. I say we go all out," Robin said. The others cheered and all returned to their rooms to freshen up for dinner.

Later, after three courses of the most incredible food that any of them had ever had, Robin looked to his right at Starfire, her gold-hued skin glowing in the candle light. God, she was beautiful! Beast Boy's proposal was going to be a tough act to follow, but he would just have to try. His heart hammered in his throat as he pulled a soft, velvet bag from his pocket. He had been saving ever since his date with that nightmare, Kitten, and if this diamond didn't win Starfire over, then nothing would. It was called a 'hearts on fire' diamond and was cut so that one saw a starburst on one side, and carefully patterned hearts on the other. The other Titans were talking and laughing and Beast Boy had just kissed Raven's hand again. It wasn't the way he'd originally planned it, but the timing was perfect.

"Guys, I'd like to offer a toast. To Raven and Beast Boy: congratulations and good luck to the best friends anyone could have," Robin said, standing and offering his glass as the others clinked theirs together. Robin caught sight of Starfire's blue eyes and it almost took his breath away. "I'd also like to say one more thing. We've had an incredible run as a team. I don't think there's another super hero team out there with the kind of bond we've forged over the years. Part of that bond is never forgetting each other. We know all too well what can happen if we forget. To that end, I'd like to say this: happy birthday, Starfire!"

Starfire's mouth dropped open. She couldn't believe it. None of them had said anything all day!

"You thought we forgot your birthday?" Raven asked, smiling.

"We could never forget you, Star," said Cyborg, pinning a rose to Starfire's dress.

"I don't know what to say!" Starfire cried. She looked at all of her friends in turn and was about to speak again when Robin interrupted.

"Say you'll be my mate," Robin said, revealing the ring. Starfire's eyes welled with tears. The other Titans smiled as Starfire took in Robin's hopeful gaze and said:

"It would be my highest honor to call myself your mate, Robin," Starfire said, accepting the ring that he eased onto her left hand.

All five Titans went to bed that night feeling happier than they ever had in their lives.


	2. Give and Take

_Chapter 2: Give and Take_

The Teen Titans were awakened the next morning to the sounds of their emergency siren going off. The teens scrambled for the living room, Cyborg and Beast Boy arriving on foot and the girls dropping down out of the air in front of the view screen. The living room looked like it had been a recent battle zone.

"Whoah," Raven intoned, making the first sound of the morning.

"What happened?" murmured Beast Boy.

"Where's Robin?" asked Cyborg. Starfire gasped two seconds later as she launched herself across the room to pick up a round object with a black and white T printed on it.

"Robin! What has happened to you?" Starfire cried. Raven knelt and bent down the examine a stain on the living room floor. She looked up, giving Beast Boy, Starfire and Cyborg a completely serious look.

"This is not good. Not good at all. Guys, this is blood," Raven said gravely.

"Whatever came through here made its own door," Cyborg said, looking toward the windows.

"What was your first clue?" Raven replied, dryly. The gaping hole in the front of Titans Tower and the shards of shattered glass had given the kids every indication that whatever had broken in was both powerful and huge.

Raven stood and went to one of the several computer terminals on one side of the room.

"I'll start with his locator chip. It's got to be on him," Raven said, her nimble fingers clicking the keys of the computer.

"Um...Rae?" Cyborg interrupted. Raven and Starfire turned to see that Cyborg was holding up Robin's utility belt, and with it, all hope of quickly finding out what had become of their fearless leader.

"No!" wailed Starfire. "This is not right! Who would attack us like this? Why would they take Robin?"

"What makes you think he was kidnapped?" Beast Boy asked.

"Where would he go without us?" Cyborg replied.

"And where would he go without his belt or one of the vehicles. If he was in pursuit, he would have taken the motorcycle," Raven replied.

Starfire dropped to her knees on the floor, still clutching Robin's communicator. Tears brimmed in her eyes.

"Oh, Robin, where are you?" She whimpered softly.

"We're not gonna find him by moping around here," said Cyborg, extending his hand to Starfire and helping her up. "Can I get a Booyah?" The others grinned with determination and willingly shouted along with him.

"BOOYAH! TITANS, GO!"

"Split up and search! Start with the major sites in each sector and fan out! Cyborg, sectors one through three!" Raven ordered, sailing high into the air as they approached the city. Cyborg's voice transmitted loud and clear, "You got it, Raven!" He gunned the T-Car and it disappeared around a corner.

"Beast Boy, take sectors four and five!" Raven called.

"I'm on it, sweet cheeks!" he replied, knowing full well that he'd pay for it when he got home. He morphed into a hawk and shrieked as he swept the opposite direction and accelerated.

"Starfire, sectors six and seven!" Raven cried.

"Acknowledged!" Starfire replied.

"I'll take sectors eight through ten and meet you back at the Tower. Rendezvous in no more than three hours! Check in every thirty minutes starting now, we don't need to lose anyone else!" Raven shouted. With this, the last thing Raven saw before she turned off for her section of the city was Starfire's nod of comprehension before she too made for the far side of town.

Half an hour later, Raven's communicator crackled to life.

"Checkin' in, Rae! Still no sign of Robin!"

"What's happenin', hot stuff? I just called to say I love you! Get it? Ha! Ha! Oh, and I haven't seen Robin either."

"Starfire checking in!"

"Acknowledged, Teen Titans. Keep searching, guys. He's got to be out there somewhere. Raven out!" Raven replied. Stopping to rest on the roof of a tall skyscraper, Raven took a deep breath of the cool morning air and thought she sensed something vaguely....

WHACK!

Raven gasped as she was suddenly thrown from the rooftops and began to tumble toward the earth. Catching herself with her powers of levitation, Raven soared back into the sky to ascertain the identity of her attacker. When she reached the roof again, Raven gasped. One of the Hive Academy's top students, Jinx, stood defiantly on the off white roof tiles.

"Sorry about that. I didn't know any other way to get your attention from way up there," Jinx said as Raven touched down on the roof.

"Give me one more excuse to send you to another dimension," Raven growled.

"You wanna find Robin?" Jinx replied, an arrogant smile still plastered to her pale face.

"What do you know about this?" Raven sneered.

"I know where he's being held. If you want to know, you'll help me," Jinx replied.

"I don't negotiate with criminals," Raven said, her hands crackling with black energy.

"I want out, Raven. I don't want this life anymore. Something happened to me that week that Cyborg went to the academy with us. Something I didn't think was possible," Jinx explained.

"You mean, getting him to wear a frilly pink dress? We accomplished that long before you ever met him," Raven replied.

"No, you 'Carrie' wanna be. He changed me. I know if I try to get out on my own it won't work. If Brother Blood doesn't kill me, Slade will. You guys already know the prize his agents pay if they try to get out once they seal the deal," Jinx said, turning her back to Raven. "Besides, you wouldn't understand..."

"Understand what?" Raven asked, suddenly interested in what she had to say. There were some things that, between girls, went without saying.

"I...I like him. Cyborg. I really like him. Enough to eighty-six this band of bozos and jump ship. Will you help me?" Jinx asked. Raven liked to think she was an uncanny judge of character and this time there seemed to be genuine validity to the petite sorceress' words. Raven backed the pig-tailed spellbinder against the roof-top air conditioner and stood close enough to feel Jinx's heart pound.

"You have precisely one chance. Endanger my friends once—just once, and I will not hesitate to introduce you to my father," Raven growled. Jinx shuddered. She had heard about the last would-be villain that met with Trigon, Raven's father. He currently resided in a padded room. Jinx extended her small hand to grasp Raven's. Raven cautiously took it.

"You're with me. Take me to Robin," Raven said coolly.

"Try to keep up," Jinx smiled, taking off into the still rising sun.


	3. A Candle in the Window

_Chapter 3: A Candle in the Window_

When Robin regained consciousness, the dim light in the room afforded him little visual acuity. When he tried to move, he took note of the standing cross to which he was chained. The blood was draining from his arms and they were starting to go numb with the effort of trying to maintain blood flow in this elevated state. Robin tried to lift his head and suddenly became dizzy. He had taken more than one blow to the head when he battled Gizmo and Mammoth. He tried to open his eyes further as conscious thought returned, but he found that his right eye was nearly swollen shut. A small trickle of blood seeped from his hairline on the same side. "That must be where I caught the edge of the entertainment center," Robin thought to himself. Mammoth had swung it at him and Robin, who was still asleep on the couch, didn't even see it coming until it contacted his head. He was ashamed to think that he was taken out so easily. He wondered about the other Titans. Surely they were awake by now. Had the alarm gone off? He couldn't remember. Robin coughed and spit out what was in his mouth. Most of it was blood. Apparently, he had taken a worse beating than he suspected.

A door on the far side of the room opened and two tall slender figures entered the room. One of the men wore the white robes of a cult leader. The other wore the highly technical suit of an evil genius. Had Robin been able to speak, he would have cried out in terror: Brother Blood and Slade were working together.

"Good morning, Robin. Sleep well?" Slade's calm voice called through the semi-darkness.

"What...do you want with me?" Robin gasped. It was hard to breathe with the bruises on his ribs.

"My, my, but Gizmo and Mammoth have done their job well," Slade commented, inspecting Robin's wounds. Robin wondered why Jinx had not been included in that morning's attack.

"I'd like to say that there is loyalty among thieves, but I don't suppose they would be willing to bring me the girl," Slade continued as though Robin were not there.

"Rebellion and desertion are not tolerated within my organization, Slade. Jinx will pay dearly for running away," Brother Blood reminded him. "School girls often do not realize the gravity of their words."

Slade looked at Brother Blood and nodded curtly. "I find that when there is distraction, the best thing to do is to eliminate the distraction. Isn't that right, Robin?" Slade grasped Robin by the hair and jerked up so that Robin looked him in the eye. Robin couldn't answer. He was too confused. Had Jinx deserted the Hive? What distraction was Slade referring to? Where did Robin himself fit into all of this? There were just too many questions. After delivering Robin a swift kick to the ribs, cracking two of them, Slade joined Brother Blood at the door and exited. Robin choked and coughed for several minutes after they left, resigning himself to the fact that without his utility belt and his communicator, the other Teen Titans would find it next to impossible to find him.

Robin tried to comfort himself with thoughts of his friends. Football in the park with Beast Boy and Cyborg, long walks with Starfire, training sessions with Raven, meals and movies together as a team, as much as he could think of, but all he seemed to be able to do was let his head roll forward again and lose consciousness. His body was just too weak to keep up.

Raven and Jinx skirted the tree tops as they soared across town, crossing several of the sectors that Raven had assigned her friends to investigate. She was beginning to wonder where they were when her communicator clicked on again.

"Raven, where are you?" cried Beast Boy. Raven snapped out of her daydream and grasped her communicator.

"Report!" Raven barked.

"We're all back at the Tower like you ordered...all except you. Where are you?" Cyborg replied. Raven checked the clock built into the communicator. It had been over three and a half hours since they started their search. Silently scolding herself, Raven looked back at the screen of the communicator.

"Got a lead on Robin. Head for these coordinates now! Meet us there!" Raven rapped out.

"Who is with you?" Starfire cried.

"No time to explain. Just meet us there!" Raven cried, clicking off her communicator.

As Starfire, Beast Boy and Cyborg rushed to join Raven and her mysterious companion, Beast Boy quietly worried about his blue cloaked fiancé. He almost lost her once for taking a chance on someone, so he hoped that this person, whoever they were, wherever they were leading Raven, was for real. Beast Boy reminded himself that Raven was not a weakling and this helped some, but the trace evidence recovered from the living room suggested that Gizmo and Mammoth had been the ones that attacked Robin. Beast Boy hoped that Raven knew what she was getting into. Where there were Hive agents, there was usually Slade.

"Where are we going?" Raven demanded after a few minutes along side Jinx.

"They teach you in theories of criminal activity class that the best place for a hideout is right in the open," Jinx recited, coming to a stop in front of an unfinished office building. The structure had been enclosed and the outside edifices had been finished, but the inside of the building was not yet ready for businesses to inhabit. Raven looked up and down the building and then back at Jinx.

"I don't suppose you know where to find him inside?" Raven asked, expecting Jinx not to know.

"Not a clue. But there's only one way to find out," Jinx said, pushing up the sleeves of her costume. Raven was about to suggest that they wait for the other Titans when the T-Car squealed to a halt at the curb.

"Did someone here call for backup?" Cyborg quipped.

"What do we need them for?" Jinx sneered but quickly changed her tune when she saw Cyborg. "I mean, wow, backup!"

"This was your lead?" Cyborg asked skeptically, eyeballing Raven.

"You trusted her to lead you to Robin?" Beast Boy squealed.

"I do not care who she is! If Jinx knows where Robin is and she is willing to help us then we must take advantage of it," Starfire said determinedly.

"If she double-crosses us just once..." Beast Boy threatened.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, a one-way ticket to dimension Trigon," Jinx muttered. "Snot suckin' little grass stain..." Raven heard her comment and without warning slammed Jinx against the building with one powerful hand. She once again grew closer to Jinx's face.

"That is the boy I intend to marry. If a hair on his green head so much as twitches the wrong way, you're going to be casting your spells from a wheelchair," Raven said evenly. With this, she released Jinx and turned to the rest of the team, leaving Jinx to smooth the front of her dress and give a half frightened half resentful look to Raven. Raven looked at the others and said, "What?"

Cyborg and Starfire smiled and shook their heads. Beast Boy grinned widely as his eyes gleamed.

"Gee, Raven you're so possessive!" he teased.

"I love you, too. Now let's go," Raven said, motioning for the others to stand close enough to her for her to use her dimensional capabilities to transport them inside the building.

Deep inside the building, on one of the multitude of upper floors, Robin awoke again to the sound of running electricity. He forced himself to lift his head though hunger and exhaustion begged to differ and what he saw frightened him more than anything else on earth. He had been moved to some cavernous larger room, roughly the size of the gym in Titans Tower, and had been placed on a platform high above the floor. There were a series of trapeze and acrobatic swings strung across the room to another, much larger platform on the other side. There, lying upon the far away platform was Starfire. She had been captured, beaten and left for dead. Anger boiled Robin's blood.

"I trust you rested well, Robin," Slade said, his voice sounding as though it came from a speaker somewhere in the ceiling. "As you can see, we've arranged a little obstacle course for you."

"What have you done to Starfire?" Robin shouted.

"You can yet reach her, Robin. The power to do so is in your very blood," Slade replied. Robin suddenly quaked with fear. He had come from a family of acrobats several generations in the making. Robin nearly wept for fear remembering that terrible day when the sturdy wires that held his parents' trapeze had been cut, sending the Flying Graysons to their deaths below and leaving six year old Robin an orphan.

Somehow this was different. This was now. This was Starfire and she needed him. Robin wrenched himself up to a standing position and took hold of the first swing, testing the tensile strength of the wire. Cautiously, he looked below him. There was no net to catch him if he slipped. Swallowing hard, Robin took a deep breath, prayed to his parents for courage, and took the first broad swing across the chasm.

The remaining Teen Titans, plus Jinx, cautiously infiltrated the building and made their way across the new-smelling lobby to the unfinished elevator shafts.

"Something's not right. This is too easy," Cyborg murmured.

"Of course it's not," said Starfire, backing toward Raven. "This is dangerous as the building is unfinished. We must find Robin." There was a corridor directly in front of them, and from a room near the end of this corridor there issued an electrical buzz and a very feminine scream.

"Okay, that's not suspicious," Raven said sarcastically.

"We must save that innocent girl!" Starfire cried.

"What about Robin?" Beast Boy cried.

"This person may not be alive when we return!" Starfire cried, energizing one of her starbolts. The kids flinched at the sound of another agony-filled scream and for a moment forgot their endangered leader as they bolted for the end of the hall.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you so much to all that have reviewed and been keeping up with this storyline! Special hugs and sugar cookies to Jestana, Raven A. Star, Arrendi, and zerodog43 for their diligent reading of all my TT work and perpetual reviewing skills! I love you guys! I really don't deserve such a loyal following. -blush- If you are wondering where I got it in my head that Slade is still alive, get on Animation Insider's TT fandom and start scoping out the episode descriptions for the new season and you'll see. As for Jinx, if you've seen "Deception" you know exactly where I got that idea. Anyway, keep on reading and reviewing! I love being bombarded by the email alerts I get! Bwee! _


	4. Meet Virginia

_Chapter 4: Meet Virginia_

Starfire led the others all the way back to the door that the screaming was emanating from. Bluish flashes of light strobed out from beneath the door and Starfire didn't hesitate to use her powers to blast the doors open. When the dust cleared, a frightening looking man with wide eyes looked over at them. His gaze was void of conscience, compassion or mercy. In fact, he seemed to enjoy the fact that he was inflicting excruciating pain on the brunette teen strapped to the metal examining table in the middle of the room. A twitch of a smile crossed his pasty face and pale lips, making even Raven's heartbeat double. The electrostatic generator nearby was producing the buzzing they had heard, and the scream, as they suspected, was coming from the girl. She strained against the restraining belts, retention devices that were designed to keep her from escaping by readjusting to her superhuman strength. The mad scientist looking man ignored the Titans and once again touched the steel wool covered electrodes to the girl's bare legs and moved down them, leaving streaks of bright red burn marks on her otherwise flawless skin as she screamed and then managed to shout out, "Is that all you've got!?" before the pain and volts of electricity overloaded her nervous system and she collapsed into unconsciousness.

It only took the Titans seconds to divide and conquer the situation. Starfire and Raven used their powers to destroy the equipment, Cyborg and Jinx knocked out the villainous man at the controls and Beast Boy sprinted in his cheetah form to the girl's side to release her from the bindings and carry her out of the room before the machinery exploded. When the dust and smoke cleared, Raven was hiding all of them beneath her force field. Raven released her hold and the heroes crowded around as Beast Boy carefully placed the young woman on the floor.

"She's alive, but unconscious. She took more electricity than I thought a human body could withstand," Beast Boy reported. With this, the girl's azure eyes blinked open and she gasped at the group of young crime fighters standing over her.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice still hoarse from screaming.

"Whoah! Take it easy, kiddo, we're the good guys!" Cyborg said.

"No such thing!" the girl growled, fighting to get to her feet but swaying as her muscles spasmed and refused to hold her up. She collapsed back to the ground with a frustrated cry and Starfire went to help her.

"Please, you are still far too weak to try to stand!" Starfire exclaimed.

"If it's one thing I've never been, it's weak," the girl grunted, her long chocolate colored hair falling over her shoulders.

"What's your name?" Beast Boy asked. The girl looked up at him, her eyes flashing.

"Call me Torque. It's better than my real name anyway," She muttered.

"Oh, please tell us! We would love to know!" Starfire begged, smiling at their new friend.

"It's Virginia. There. Are you happy? My mother named me after a friggin' state. The source of relentless teasing ever since I was enrolled in school," Torque replied, rolling her eyes.

"I like it," Jinx said simply. Torque flashed a narrow-eyed scowl at the sorceress.

"I meant your codename!" Jinx recovered. "Jeez, you're so touchy!"

"Oh, you should see just how 'touchy' I really am, girly," Torque murmured maliciously, extending her hand in Jinx's direction. Jinx suddenly gasped for air as though something were squeezing her midsection. Seconds later, Torque relinquished her hold and Jinx collapsed to the floor still shuddering and gasping for breath. Cyborg looked at Torque in shock.

"Dude..." Beast Boy gasped.

"Nice work..." Raven added, duly impressed.

"Speak for yourself," Jinx said hoarsely. Cyborg helped her up and the team asked Torque if she would help them.

"I know where they're keeping your leader. I was almost in when they caught me. The mad scientist in there would have pretty much turned me into a shish kabob if you guys hadn't shown up. Thanks," Torque replied, her voice softening. Now one more strong, the teens proceeded back to the elevator shafts to find a way up to the remaining floors.

Upstairs, Robin did a summersault off the last swing and landed evenly on the far platform, kneeling beside Starfire, even though his knees were throbbing with pain.

"Starfire!" Robin cried. But as he was about to take her into his arms, the platform gave way, and both teens fell for what seemed like forever until Robin finally felt himself hit the floor. For a split second he was knocked out, but when he opened his eyes, he was in a completely different place.

"Starfire! Starfire!" Robin shouted. His surroundings had changed from a stark looking gymnasium to a creepy looking forest. Eyes of many different colors peered out at him, and several creatures crossed his path that gave him such looks of petulance as to make Robin's skin crawl.

"Your alien fiancé is dead, Robin. You failed. You couldn't save her," Brother Blood said, emerging from the trees.

"You're lying!" Robin screamed.

"See for yourself," Brother Blood replied calmly. He held out his hand for Robin to see what he held and Robin collapsed to his knees again, his whole body wracked with tears. This terrible man was holding Starfire's engagement ring. Brother Blood returned the ring to his pocket and gestured to the forest just as another scream issued from the dark.

"Unless you would see your other female teammate meet a similar fate, I suggest you hurry," Brother Blood commented. "Lovely girl, really. Smells like strawberries and cotton candy..." Robin roared as he pulled himself up off the ground and threw himself at Brother Blood and his evil grin. But instead of knocking the man over, Robin passed right through him. The image of Brother Blood had been a hologram.

"_Robin!" _Raven screamed. "_Robin help me! Please hurry! Oh, God, help me!" _Robin had never heard Raven so terrified in his life.

"I'm coming Raven!" Robin screamed back, taking off into the woods. In the distance, the echo of maniacal laughter only made Robin push himself harder. He had to get to Raven before she too perished at the hands of this archenemy.

"Beast Boy will never forgive me if Raven dies!" Robin cried out loud to himself. The grief-stricken teen pressed aside his own mourning, increased his speed, and proceeded toward the sound of his friend's voice.

Meanwhile, by combining their efforts, the rest of the Teen Titans and their new friends managed to fly, levitate, or otherwise lift themselves to the next floor. When they arrived, Torque gasped and the others took immediate defensive positions.

"If it isn't the snot miners!" Gizmo cackled.

"Oh and look, they've got a new friend!" Mammoth roared, staring at Jinx.

"Just like we discussed! Attack pattern Omega one!" Jinx cried. The teenage superheroes fanned out immediately, taking up strategic positions in the empty corridor and standing ready for attack.

"Titans, Go!" Roared Cyborg, and the teens immediately executed a well organized battle formation. Cyborg and Torque rushed forward first, Cyborg slamming into Gizmo and Torque screaming in exertion as she ripped the floor up from beneath Mammoth's feet. As Mammoth tumbled backward, Starfire soared overhead and rained down starbolts all around him, bringing debris down from around them and pinning Mammoth to the floor as he waited for the world to stop spinning.

Raven dipped around behind Gizmo as he swiped at Cyborg from the ground. Gizmo's spider-like techno pack didn't do him much good seconds later as he was lifted off the ground by a consuming black energy. He screamed as Raven spun him to face her.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with sharp objects?" she sneered, throwing Gizmo across the room. Mammoth rocked from side to side several time and finally loosed himself from the pile of rock and steel, lifting the largest boulder to throw at Jinx.

"Hey, traitor! Catch!" Mammoth roared, hurling the boulder at her. Jinx tried to hex the boulder into pieces but it resisted her powers. Gasping and cowering in fear, Cyborg ran to push her out of the way. From the air, Raven saw this and cried out, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" The boulder stopped a mere yard from colliding with Cyborg as he sheltered Jinx beneath him and the two peeked out cautiously just in time to see Raven hurl the boulder back at Mammoth, this time knocking him out cold. Gizmo was still unconscious on the floor when the teens regrouped in the middle of the floor.

"Nice work, Torque,"

"Wow! Remind me never to make you mad!"

"Glorious!"

"Thanks guys, but we don't have time for this. We need to find your friend, Robin," Torque reminded them. The kids nodded and continued along the corridor.

"Are you okay?" Cyborg asked Jinx as they walked.

"I'll be okay, I guess," Jinx answered softly, blushing as she straightened an errant pink pigtail.

"Are you for real on this whole 'changing sides' thing? You know what could happen, right?" Cyborg asked gently. Jinx crossed her arms over her chest and lowered her eyes.

"Yeah, I do," she replied.

"So...why are you doing it?" Cyborg asked. Jinx blushed a bit harder and said, "It's hard to explain..." She looked at Cyborg with her cat-like pink eyes full of emotion and lost herself in the obsidian gaze of the half-robot before her. She was about to tell him everything that begged for release from her heart when a pain-filled wail issued from some distant room above them.

"Robin!" Starfire shrieked.

"Let's go!" Raven cried, leading the others to the elevator shaft again and lifting them all in her protective black embrace. "I just hope we're not too late!"


	5. Kyrie

_Chapter 5: Kyrie _

_a/n: Extra long chapter! This is not the end of the story, but it does bring the story arc over the next hurdle. Big Thank You's to Arrendi and Jestana for their continued support. Love ya, girls!_

Robin was miserable. He was on his knees, battered, broken, and sobbing. The fallen body of one of his closest friends lay before him, her long blue cloak chewed to pieces by the creatures of this nocturnal hell. Her flawless complexion was contorted with fear and agony: he had been too late. After Brother Blood disappeared, he had run like he had never run before, but it had not been enough. When he arrived, he chased away the crows and the wolves and threw himself over Raven's body.

"No...Raven, back, please...please don't die!" Robin wailed. Then, just as though he'd been once again assailed with the entertainment center, there was a sharp pain and he lost consciousness.

"It's working," Slade murmured. "He'll bend like a reed now. Stop the simulation."

Brother Blood pressed a few buttons and keys on the control panel before him and the two again went into the chamber that held their prisoner. This time, Slade carried with him a robotic arm. It was a piece of the robot that the Teen Titans used to escape from the Hive Academy long before, but thanks to Cyborg's ingenuity, Robin would never know the difference. He also carried a pelt of fur dyed green. At this proof, Robin would snap like a tender young twig and would do whatever he asked. Like he told Brother Blood—eliminate the distractions.

"Robin..." Slade called gently. Robin lifted his head. His eyes were red and puffy and his knees very nearly didn't hold him up. He looked up at Slade and cried out, "What do you want from me?"

"Rejoin me. Your skill and your instinct are second to none. We could be a team again," Slade demanded.

"I have a team," Robin replied, gritting his teeth. Slade said not a word but threw down the arm and the fur in front of him. Robin dropped to his knees again, this time too shocked to reply.

"The changeling screamed like a little girl when we skinned him and your friend the Cyborg put up little resistance once we dismantled most of his primary systems. It was just like pulling the plug out of the outlet. They're gone, Robin. You have nothing to go home to. Join me again and we will rule this city together," Slade commanded. Robin couldn't breathe. The shock was too much.

"Make this easy on yourself, Robin. Your friends are all dead because of your stubbornness. Join us!" Brother Blood coaxed.

"N...never! I'll never be your apprentice again!" Robin screamed. He curled up on the floor and cried, scooting himself into a corner and hiding his face. "Do what you want to me, but I won't join you again!"

Slade took a step toward Robin but Brother Blood rested his hand on Slade's shoulder.

"It is enough, Slade. You have already broken the boy. Now where there is grief and brokenness, you must replace it with trust. He is exhausted and certainly hungry. Come, let the boy rest," Brother Blood suggested.

"Your mercy is your weakness, old man," Slade grumbled.

"I am a man who understands human nature, Slade. Especially that of an adolescent child. They are impressionable enough without your torment," Brother Blood replied calmly. Slade relented and left the room again.

Robin curled up tighter and rocked a bit as he sobbed. Dead...they were all dead...his best friends...his fiancé...all gone...all his fault. Robin slipped into a fitful sleep minutes later, hunger and exhaustion overtaking him again.

The Teen Titans emerged onto the tenth floor, inching their way along the hall and covering one another as they moved. Down closest to the floor was a smooth, green gecko lizard. The lizard padded down the hall on his sticky feet and turned a corner before bolting in under a door. In this room he found wall to wall computer equipment and hundreds of blinking lights, switches and knobs. The lizard climbed the wall and fell with a plop onto the tilted panel, taking in the sight of all of the controls with his quick black eyes. The gecko next climbed up the glass of a window overlooking an adjoining holding cell. Squeaking in shock, the gecko suddenly transformed into a chimpanzee and jumped from the panel to the floor and resumed his real shape: the young man known as Beast Boy.

"This is not good!" Beast Boy muttered. He pushed open the door of the room and rejoined his friends in the hallway.

"There should be a door at the end of this hall that leads to an observation room. Robin's in there and he doesn't look good! We need to get him out of there, now!" Beast Boy panted.

"They know we're here. He was on the sixth floor when I was here before. I'll bet they moved him when they got wind of our battle with Gizmo and Mammoth," Torque replied.

"I know indeed, child," said a voice behind them. Jinx gasped as Slade lifted her by the back of her neck and held her.

"I've known ever since you interfering thorns in my side managed to get past the torture chamber downstairs," Slade said. As he spoke, Jinx pulled at his hands and choked as he constricted her airway.

"Interfere with this!" Cyborg cried, raising his cannon arm and aiming for Slade's head. The other teens followed suit and fell into combat positions.

"What can you possibly do to me?" Slade sneered with a haughty tone. "What can you hope to accomplish against us both!" Brother Blood stepped in out of the shadows and joined Slade, grinning in maniacal triumph. The kids were taken aback but not discouraged. From the strangle hold that Slade had on her, Jinx hoarsely whispered, "Omega...three..."

Cyborg's jaw dropped in horror, "No! Jinx, no!"

"Do it! Save Robin and get out!" Jinx choked.

"Not without you!" Cyborg growled.

"I've had enough! Choke this!" Torque shouted, throwing her arms out in front of her as she projected her powers across to Brother Blood, grasping his throat and squeezing. Brother Blood immediately collapsed to the floor. Slade could feel the heat from Starfire's starbolts, and hear the crackle of Raven's black energy bolts. He heard a fearsome growl as Beast Boy transformed into a lion, swishing his tail and lowering his head like one on a hunt.

"Would you like to rephrase that question?" Raven growled. Slade observed his options. Torque was still squeezing Brother Blood's neck. His face was turning dark crimson red and his eyes begged for Slade to do something to end this foolish standoff. When Slade turned back around, Torque squeezed harder and Slade finally dropped Jinx. Torque dropped her hold and screamed, "NOW!"

All six of the superhero teens opened fire as though they had planned it this way all along and both megalomaniacal super villains were instantly throttled from all sides. Raven lifted long sheets of sheet rock and sent them hurling in their direction, Starfire pushed them back with her starbolts, Cyborg unleashed his arm cannon as Gizmo and Mammoth appeared out of the stairwell and joined the assault. Seconds passed before a great red bubble of energy boiled just beneath the surface of the rubble and the pile exploded, sending fragments of debris flying in all directions and violently announcing that Slade and Brother Blood were still very much a threat.

Raven began to summon the doors off the doorways and threw them one by one at their attackers. Slade dodged them and ran toward Jinx, throwing his exploding disks at her as he ran for an exit. Jinx summoned one of her hexes and the exploding disks disintegrated before they reached her. She summoned the spell again and charged it in the direction of her former master. Slade was caught in the back with the full brunt of Jinx's spell and slid face first across the floor. His eyes flashed in shock as Starfire soared over the top of him and fired her starbolts directly over him. He could just barely deflect them before he had to duck from Raven's energy charged floor tiles. He lifted himself and began to crawl toward the exit when suddenly things got quiet. Slade rolled over and discovered Beast Boy standing over him. Slade raised his arm, but not fast enough, for seconds later, there was a velociraptor standing over him, his rows and rows of menacing teeth gleaming at the fallen villain. The creature took a deep breath and roared at the top of its lungs, causing the villain to scream and cover his ears in pain. Torque moved in again and took hold of him as Raven held Brother Blood tightly in her own grasp. The police were waiting downstairs to incarcerate them. Slowly and carefully, the kids lowered their newly vanquished enemies, including Gizmo and Mammoth, down through a shattered window and down to the ground.

Looking back at one another, the kids breathed a sigh of relief. Beast Boy morphed back into his normal form, Torque rubbed a sore shoulder, and Starfire looked around the hall for the door that Beast Boy had spoken of before; the one that would lead her to Robin.

Before she could open it, Beast Boy tugged her away.

"I think you need to see this first," he said gravely. The six teens crowded into the control room and Beast Boy turned on the lights in the observation room. The young man inside the stark white room screamed in fear, clutching several objects that had been placed inside the room with him. He pressed himself all the way back to a corner and continued to scream and cower in fear. Raven squinted as she looked at the shell that remained of her dear friend. She looked at her comrades and observed their reactions. Beast Boy's eyes were downcast and sad and Jinx hid her eyes and buried her face in Cyborg's chest. Tears spilled from Starfire's eyes and Torque covered her mouth with one hand as she, too, allowed tears to fall from her eyes.

"You can't have them! Do you hear me? I won't! I won't join you! I'd...I'd rather...kill me! Kill me you slimy son of a bitch! You took everything from me! You...you took my life away from me! For God's sake kill me!" Robin screamed. There was still sweat and dried blood caked in his hair and on his face. His uniform was torn, rumpled and dirty. Raven looked at what he had in his arms.

"Is that...?" Raven murmured. In Robin's arms was one of her cloaks. It was shredded nearly beyond recognition but she would know that blue anywhere. Also in his arms were a robotic arm and a pelt of fur...green fur. Raven was beginning to see what had happened. Her suspicions were confirmed when a metallic ting was heard and Robin scrambled to retrieve a shining object from the floor.

"Starfire, isn't that your engagement ring?" Raven asked gently. Starfire looked harder and replied, "But that is impossible. My ring is in my bedroom in Titans Tower. I did not want to lose it."

"Raven...is that my spare arm?" Cyborg wondered out loud as he forced himself to look up at the heart-breaking scene.

"Something's not right here. How did he get all those things?" Raven said. Beast Boy came forward and pressed a few buttons. The objects in Robin's arms disappeared and the Titan's leader panicked as none of them had ever seen before.

"No! No! Give them back!"

"I've had enough!" Starfire shouted, storming out of the control room.

"Starfire wait! You could give him a heart attack!" Raven cried.

"I cannot watch this anymore! He is mourning for those who are not dead!" Starfire yelled.

"One thing at a time," Beast Boy coaxed. He walked carefully toward the door and opened it slowly. Beast Boy turned to his comrades and instructed them not to come in until he motioned for them. Reintroducing stimuli too quickly could make Robin's body go farther into shock. Beast Boy walked quietly into the room, pausing when Robin looked up and saw him. Robin looked at him with empty eyes.

"Robin?" Beast Boy called softly.

"No...you're not real!" Robin cried.

"Robin, look, it's me," Beast Boy continued, taking another step closer. "It's your buddy, Beast Boy." Robin shook his head.

"No...it can't be...I saw it..." Robin choked down his tears at the thought of the fur he had held. Beast Boy came closer and knelt as he reached for Robin's hand.

"Touch me. See for yourself," Beast Boy said gently. Robin's shaking hand gingerly reached out and then shrank back. Beast Boy didn't even flinch.

"It's okay, Robin," Beast Boy murmured, taking another step closer. "It's really me. We're gonna get you out of here." Robin looked Beast Boy in the eyes and then carefully touched his hand. Shocked that it was real, Robin threw his arms around Beast Boy's waist, his heart pounding again, this time for relief. Then something terrible dawned on him: what would Beast Boy do when he found out that Robin had let Raven die? He shrank back, looking at Beast Boy like a frightened pup.

"What's wrong, Robin?" Beast Boy asked.

"Raven..." Robin whispered. He couldn't seem to bring himself to tell Beast Boy the rest.

"Raven's just fine, Rob. She's right here," Beast Boy replied soothingly, looking up at the doorway where his teammates waited like actors in the wings. Raven came into the room taking calm even steps and knelt beside Beast Boy.

"See Robin? I'm okay," Raven said, mimicking the tone of Beast Boy's voice.

"I saw you...I was too late...your whole body was..."

"Robin, it wasn't me," Raven replied, reaching to touch his face. For a split second he jerked away but then reached out to cover her hand with his and press it to his cheek. It was real.

"The others..." Robin croaked, his voice still hoarse from all he had been through. Beast Boy motioned to the other Titans to come in. Torque and Jinx waited outside the door. Beast Boy had told them that too many faces in the room could be traumatic, so they consented to wait for introductions and explanations until Robin was well. Until then, they were both welcome in Titans Tower.

When Starfire knelt down beside Robin, his face changed completely. His hands shook as he reached for Starfire and she collapsed into his arms, both of them holding each other tightly as they cried.

"It is all over, Robin," Starfire wept. "We are all safe now. We can go home now, beloved."


	6. Coming Out of the Dark

_Chapter 6: Coming Out of the Dark_

_A/N: Once again, not the end of the story, but ya gotta admit, it is a lot easier on the eyes than what's been happening up till now. This story is going to be a lot longer page-wise than its predecesor. By the end, "Can You Stand the Rain?" was 36 pages and 13 chapters long. This one is all of 23 pages and I'm only just now going into chapter 7. I noticed that many of my reviewers have been crying along with the characters as they face the trials in the story. I just want you guys to know--this chapter is the one I cried writing. _

When the Titans arrived back at Titans Tower that night, Robin was only half conscious. He knew that Cyborg was carrying him and he knew that as they walked, Starfire held his hand but that was about the extent of it. If Starfire let go for even a second to open a door, Robin would panic, so she found herself floating along side Cyborg and following along until Robin had been tucked into his bed. Starfire spent the remainder of that evening washing the dirt, sweat and blood from his face, head and arms, as well as holding his hand and talking to him, even though Raven told her that he would more than likely not respond for a while.

Robin would sleep for three days before finally waking from his deprivation-induced sleep and every day of it, Starfire would spend her time talking or reading to him, relaying what the team was doing, both for fun and during their missions, and she even told him about Jinx and Torque. She attended to every need of his that she could think of and if possible anticipate but between this and remaining a functioning member of the team, by the end of the third day, Starfire was not looking so perky as she used to.

Creeping upstairs to the kitchen at 1:30am, Starfire looked rough. She was stiff from falling asleep over Robin's bed or in a chair. She had neglected her own physical need to eat on a regular basis and was starving by this time. Too tired to make sense out of anything in the refrigerator, Starfire eased herself up onto one of the stools beside the island in the middle of the kitchen. She looked around at the empty living area and then rested her head on her folded arms. The sharp poke in the forehead she received barely registered as her engagement ring, but it reminded her well enough: if she didn't return soon, Robin would begin to worry that he indeed had been making her up and that this was still some trick of Slade's. Taking a deep breath, Starfire forced herself to stand and took a step back toward the door that led to the hallway. When she did, she found that her knees wouldn't hold her, and she collapsed to the floor. Out of the shadows, Raven soared to her side and knelt beside her.

'Starfire!" she cried. Starfire could barely hold her eyes open when Raven rolled her over to face her.

"I must...see to Robin...he will worry if I am not present..." Starfire muttered, her words hardly comprehensible. Raven sighed, sitting down more properly on the floor and drawing Starfire into her embrace.

"Star, you can't keep doing this to yourself," Raven murmured. "You can't even stand up, you're so tired."

"I must...I must..."

"No, Starfire. I sent Beast Boy over to sit with him for tonight. You are going to bed," Raven insisted gently. Softly, Starfire started to cry and covered her face with her hands.

"Star...what's wrong?" Raven asked, concern evident in her voice.

"I simply wish for Robin to be well..." Starfire wept. "Is there nothing more I can do for him?" Raven's eyes welled with quiet tears and together the two cried. Raven said nothing for several minutes, she merely sat and held Starfire close, comforting her as she sobbed.

"I love him so much, Raven!" Starfire cried her tears an uncontrollable flood falling over her cheeks.

"I know," whispered Raven. "But you can't help him when you're like this! He loves you too much to watch you suffer with him."

"But Raven..."

"I know...if it had been Beast Boy," Raven interrupted, her eyes shining with tears, "I would have done the same thing, and if I were you right now, I would expect you to do to me what I'm doing now." Raven aided Starfire into a kneeling position.

"Starfire of Tamaran, as once you were a sister to me, so now I am going to be a sister to you," Raven said, helping Starfire up off the floor and putting Starfire's arm around her shoulder as she walked with her down the hall. Raven brushed out Starfire's long red hair and then tucked her into bed. She handed Star her teddy bear and then quietly shut off the light as she tiptoed out the door. Raven remained a few minutes beside the door to make certain that Starfire didn't try to get up and go back to Robin, and then decidedly turned to go back to her own room. When she turned around she and the bright green pair of eyes she was met with gasped in surprise.

"You scared me!" Raven whispered.

"How's she doing?" Beast Boy asked softly.

"She'll be okay. She just needs to sleep and then get some food in her stomach tomorrow," Raven said, wrapping her arms around Beast Boy and hugging him. He held her close, inhaling the scent of her hair for a moment as she relaxed in his arms.

"You mean later this morning. I think it's going in three in the morning by now," Beast Boy said, still holding Raven's hands as she slowly pulled back out of the hug.

"How are our guests adjusting?" Raven asked.

"Okay I guess. Torque isn't as tough as she makes herself out to be. As for Jinx, well, let's just say that Cyborg's got her number," Beast Boy replied with a grin. He gestured toward the living room and Raven followed. There, asleep on the sofa, was Cyborg, and under his hulking, massive arm, curled up beneath a blanket, was Jinx.

"What happened to her hair?" asked Raven, squinting to see better.

"Well, you see, after she took a shower this morning, she crossed paths with Cy in the hall. She hadn't pulled her hair up yet, so it was hanging down all drippy and stuff and Cy told her he liked it better that way, so she's been wearing it down in a ponytail ever since," said Beast Boy. He grinned again. "I think I know why she switched sides."

"Oh yeah?" Raven said, curious as to his theory.

"Yeah," Beast Boy replied, wrapping his arms around Raven's waist and pulling her close again. "It's the same reason you and I slept on the couch at this time last year."

Raven looked at Beast Boy with incredulous surprise. "You remembered that?" she murmured.

"Remembered? I wrote it on the calendar! It was the first time in a week that you were able to sleep all night without a nightmare," Beast Boy said. "Besides, it was the first time you and I slept together, Raven." Beast Boy made this last remark with a note of playful humor and Raven batted his shoulder.

"You are absolutely incorrigible!" Raven muttered lovingly.

"Yeah, and you love me anyway," Beast Boy replied reverently as he ran a hand through her hair. The two shared another kiss and then they left the newest lovers on the team to finish their rest.


	7. A Love Before Time

_Chapter 7: A Love Before Time_

_a/n: As hard as I cried writing the last chapter, I laughed twice as hard writing this one. Have fun girls and boys! You've earned it for coming this far with me! Cielita_

Groggy consciousness returned to the Boy Wonder the morning of the fourth day. He awoke alone and sat up quickly in alarm. This proved to be a bad idea when dizziness forced him to lie back down on the bed. Several minutes later, he tried it again, this time going at it much more slowly. This time he made it. Standing uneasily on his feet, Robin made his way to his bedroom door and out into the hall. Glancing at the clock on the bathroom counter, he noted that it was only 5:30am, and surmised that his teammates would be asleep for another hour and a half at least.

Robin splashed water on his face and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He cocked an eyebrow as his reflection stared back at him. He looked as though he had been to hell and back.

"I have been to hell and back," Robin muttered to himself. Taking a deep breath, Robin started the shower to give it time to warm up, peeled his uniform from his still aching body and stepped into the shower. Hot water had never felt so good in his life. For a few minutes, he relaxed against the cool tiles of the shower stall and let the water course over his body, rinsing away nearly a week of feeling like he had been hit by a truck...and an entertainment center. Robin snapped out of his daydream when he remembered that Beast Boy and Cyborg take their showers in the morning too and would need the hot water. Washing up, Robin extracted himself from the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist as he took his comb from the cabinet and combed his hair back. He wasn't going to bother styling it until after he had shaved.

Robin stood in front of his bedroom mirror again half an hour after he left it, replacing his mask over his eyes and fastening his cape over his shoulders. Standing up straight and squaring his shoulders, Robin decided that he looked once again like the Robin that his roommates remembered. As he thought about the others, a gurgle released itself from his insides: he was starving. It would have to wait a little longer. He wanted to eat breakfast with his friends. Walking out into the hallway refreshed, he grinned as an idea came to his mind.

Minutes later, Robin tiptoed back into the Tower with an armful of summer roses from a bush that Robin had been secretly nursing back to health in Starfire's garden. He decided he would divide them into four bunches and surprise the girls. Robin had to hand it to Starfire. She persisted in talking to him, even though the others told her not to count on him being able to hear her. He had indeed heard all of what Starfire told him, including the circumstances that brought Jinx and Torque into their lives. After penning short notes to attach to each bundle, Robin started with their guests, tiptoeing in, laying down the flowers and then sneaking back out. He managed not to wake Torque, but Jinx's room was empty. Deciding that she must already be awake, Robin left the flowers there anyway. They would be a welcome surprise when she returned. Very cautiously entering Raven's room, Robin smiled as he placed the flowers on her nightstand. Gently, he pulled her blanket back up over her shoulder and lightly kissed her temple. He might never have made it if she had not taken the initiative to take command of the Titans and go searching for him. Raven sighed in her sleep and rolled over but didn't wake up. Robin smiled again and then left the room.

Carrying the final bouquet, Robin let himself into Starfire's room. She had managed to fall asleep with her head at the wrong end of her bed again. Grinning, Robin sat down on the edge of the bed and took one of the roses from the bunch. Carefully, he touched Starfire's forehead with the bud and traced her features with it. He brushed sweetly down over her nose, stopping so that she might inhale the scent as she slept, and then over her lips, around the hollow of her throat, over her exposed collar bones. Starfire made a soft whimpering sound as she awakened, her delicate, green-tinted blue eyes almost glittering in the morning light.

"Robin!" she murmured as her vision adjusted to the light. She sat up and wound her arms around his neck, hugging him to her. Robin nearly cried with joy. What a relief to hold her in his arms again!

"I was certain that if I left your side you would surely die of fright!" Starfire said softly.

"With care like that, how could I do anything but get better?" Robin replied, smiling broadly as he stroked Starfire's cheek and held her face in his hand. She leaned into his touch smiled, her lustrous golden skin glowing in the morning sun. Robin could resist no longer. He gently pulled Starfire to him again and kissed her like he had never kissed her before. Both Robin and Starfire came up for air almost a minute later, gasping but still smiling.

"I can't wait to call you my wife," Robin murmured, kissing the end of her nose. Starfire giggled softly.

"Why would you wish to wait?" Starfire asked in genuine curiosity. Robin laughed out loud. He shook his head and then looked up at her again.

"Why should we?" Robin said suddenly, giving Starfire a look of excitement.

"What?"

"Will you marry me, Starfire?"

"But Robin, I have already said yes!" Starfire cried in disbelief.

"Will you marry me right now?" Robin said, his voice becoming more excited as the seconds passed.

"Right now?" Starfire repeated, getting up from her bed.

"Yeah! Wake up the others! Let's go!" Robin cried.

"But, Robin, do preparations not need to be made?" Starfire called after him as he went out into the hall.

"We'll do it on the way! We can all go out for breakfast. Then we'll go shopping and get whatever else we need. We can party here at the Tower with just us and our closest friends. What do you say?" Robin said, looking in her eyes.

"But, I wish to invite my parents!" Starfire cried.

"How fast can they get here?" Robin replied, raising an eyebrow.

"What's going on?" said a familiar voice behind them. Raven was yawning and rubbing her sleepy eyes as she walked up to them there in the hall.

"What's all the commotion?" asked Cyborg as he and Jinx joined them. The others were only seconds behind them.

"Well, Star? What do you say? Will you marry me today?" Robin asked, his eyes shining with passion and joy.

Starfire took a deep breath and smiled. "Yes, Robin, I will marry you today!" she cried.

"What just got decided here?" asked Raven, still just a little confused.

"Didn't you hear him?" cried Beast Boy, "They aren't gonna wait for another disaster to come along. They're gonna tie the knot--today!"

The others cheered. Torque was tugging her black hooded sweatshirt on over her tee-shirt and shorts as she approached the knot of people in the hall.

"Um...somebody wanna fill me in?" she asked, scratching her head. Robin picked Starfire up and swung her in a circle as she laughed out loud.

"We're getting married!" Robin cried, "Wahooo!"

An hour later, the Teen Titans, new and old, were feasting on muffins, apples, strawberries, grapes, melon, and orange juice as they soaked up the summer sunshine sitting on a huge blanket in the park. Beast Boy had his head in Raven's lap and she was feeding him grapes one at a time. The others were all talking and laughing. Robin looked around at his friends and grinned broadly. Just as he was glancing over at them, Cyborg leaned over and surprised Jinx with a handful of wildflowers. Jinx's eyes were wide with joy as she turned around to face the hulking cybernetic man. She stood, took his face in her hands and lightly stroked his cheeks. Cyborg smiled and leaned into one of her hands, kissing her palm. Jinx leaned in closer and if Robin wasn't mistaken, she told Cyborg exactly what he wanted to hear.

"I'm glad we met, Cyborg. You've changed my life for the better."

Robin didn't need eyes to see the love that radiated from Starfire this day. Today they would take their time, have fun, and welcome Starfire's parents to earth. After breakfast, the day was planned. The team had it all settled before Robin or Starfire could say a word. Beast Boy and Cyborg were to take Robin and go shopping for wedding rings and then to the men's store for a new tuxedo. Robin insisted he couldn't afford a new one, but they had that covered too.

"Consider it our present to you," Cyborg said, happily observing Robin's look of pleased surprise.

"Besides, you gotta have something to wear to our wedding too!" Beast Boy added, patting Robin on the back. Robin laughed. How could he argue with that? They would also stop at a caterer to order food for that night's party, and pick out a gift for Starfire's parents.

The girls had a much more elaborate plan. Their shopping trip was to include not just Starfire's wedding gown, but a trip to the salon to get all of their hair and make up done, and choosing her bouquet. Torque found herself starting to get caught up in the wedding fever herself, even though she had only known these new friends a week. She insisted that Starfire needed something called a 'teddy' but poor Star had no idea why something that looked like that could be called a teddy. Raven and Jinx had a hard time standing up. They were laughing too hard.

"I like your style, Torque," giggled Jinx, offering Torque a high five.

"That was great!" laughed Raven, patting Torque on the back and wiping a tear of laughter from her eyes.

"Don't laugh, Rae, we have your wedding to shop for too!" Torque added. Raven choked on her laughter for a minute but continued to laugh with them. That is, until one of the garment racks turned black and began to melt. Raven gasped and reformed it quickly before anyone saw it. Still laughing too hard to speak, the girls paid for their things and left the store.

By that afternoon around four o'clock, a streak resembling a double comet entered earth's atmosphere and gradually slowed, coming to a stop above Titans Tower.

"Are you certain this is the correct planet? I am sure I saw another blue one nearer to the end of this system," said a woman dressed in elaborate purple robes. Her long red hair was twisted and curled into a very involved up-do and she was gazing at a star map as her husband, walked up and snatched the map out of her hand with an indignant look. This man was similarly dressed but was wearing a particularly dark shade of blue. He too had red hair and a full beard.

"Of course I am certain! Would you think that I do not know how to find my own daughter's home?" he replied with a huff.

"I am merely pointing out that you could have asked those nice Greeblians for directions. They are more familiar with this part of space," the woman replied.

"I am Myand'r of Tamaran. I do not need directions," the man retorted.

"But, my lord, if we are to arrive in time for our princess' nuptial celebrations we must be certain!" the woman pleaded, clasping her hands in her misgivings.

"Do not question me, Luand'r. You are my mate and I love you but now is not the time," Myand'r replied. Luand'r appeared to take minor offense to this, turning her back and folding her arms over her chest.

"Mother! Father! You have arrived!" Starfire cried, leaping into the air from where she and the other Titans stood unloading the T-Car below. She soared up to the roof of the Tower and threw her arms around her mother, who cried out in surprise and immediately hugged her in return.

"My darling one! Look how beautiful you are today! Your father and I have missed you so!" Luand'r cried.

"Oh, mother, father, I have missed you as well! Come! Meet my friends and my betrothed!" Starfire cried, leading the way down to the ground.

Before following her, Myand'r leaned over to his wife and gruffly commented, "I told you we were on the right planet!"


	8. When You Look at Me

_Chapter 8: When You Look at Me_

Robin gulped hard as he set eyes on his future in-laws for the first time. Starfire was beyond excited, but he wasn't quite sure what to say. The filial resemblance between parent and offspring was amazing. Starfire had their red hair, their stature, and their naturally infectious joy for life. At least her mother did. Robin noted that Starfire's father was a remarkably proud-looking man. He hoped he could live up to the expectations that he had in mind for the proper care of his daughter. Robin straightened up, cleared his throat, and took a few steps toward Starfire as she and her parents touched the ground.

"My parents, I present to you, Robin, my betrothed!" Starfire cried, fairly bursting with pride. Robin extended his hand.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, sir, ma'am. Starfire's told us all so many good things about you," Robin said, giving a very good appearance of confidence. Inside he was quaking from head to toe.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Robin. Starfire writes about you often in her transmissions," Luand'r replied. Every inch as emotionally generous as her daughter, Luand'r reached out to and embraced her soon to be son-in-law, a smile gracing her gentle features. Next, Robin found himself under the scrutiny of Myand'r. Myand'r clapped Robin on the back and grinned.

"Come, boy, allow me to review with you what is expected of a Tamaranian husband," Myand'r announced, escorting Robin inside.

"What he means is, 'let me tell you how you will treat my precious little princess...or else," joked Beast Boy, leaning close to his friends' ears.

"From what I hear, BB, Raven's father is no picnic, either," Torque shot back good naturedly. Beast Boy felt a drop of sweat trickle down from his hairline.

"Just be grateful he's locked away in another dimension," Raven murmured, soothing his fears for the moment.

Upstairs in the tower, Luand'r was perched on the bed in her daughter's room, listening with rapt attention to the fantastic stories she told.

"We have been through so much together that I cannot imagine being with anyone else," Starfire said, her eyes shining with excitement.

"I am glad for you, my daughter. As we speak, a grand feast is being planned for you and your new mate on Tamaran," Her mother replied.

"A feast? But, we would not be here should we be needed!" Starfire cried. Seconds later, Myand'r and Robin arrived.

"With two extra teammates around, I don't think it will be a problem for us to be gone for a few days," Robin said when they told him about the feast. "Besides, we have a honeymoon to think about too." Robin's smile broadened.

"A what?" Starfire asked. Luand'r leaned over to her daughter and whispered something in her ear. Starfire's face grew hot seconds later and she ducked her head. Her mother smiled calmly and patted Starfire's shoulder.

That night, after Robin and Starfire had exchanged simple vows and exchanged rings, the rest of the team saw them off in a ship that had come for them from Tamaran. Once the ship left earth orbit, Starfire rose from her seat and went to another room in the expansive ship. When she returned, Robin was beside himself. She had been more beautiful in her wedding gown than he had ever seen her before, but now she looked like royalty. She was dressed from head to toe in dark, royal purple trimmed in gold and dripping with glittering ornaments. There were gold clips holding up her bright red hair and a necklace graced her swan-like neck.

"Mother and Father took the liberty of bringing a set for you as well. Please try them on," Starfire said. She was calm, but still seemed to exude the happiness that Robin was accustomed to seeing in her. It seemed right now that she was walking the line between her world and his. Robin went into the room she indicated and located his robes. They were constructed of the softest material Robin had ever felt, and were colored the same dark green as his uniform. The accents were gold, to match Starfire's, and when Robin put them on, he felt like a king. He was looking at his reflection in the mirror when there was a soft knock at the door.

"May I enter?" asked Starfire.

"Sure. Come on in," Robin said. Starfire gasped softly when she saw him. She joined him near the mirror and smiled.

"You look wonderful, husband," Starfire said reverently. Robin looked at her with a peaceful smile.

"What is it?" she asked. Robin caressed her face and pulled her close.

"You called me your husband. I guess I wasn't ready for how that would make me feel," Robin said gently.

"How does that make you feel?" Starfire asked, resting her arms around his shoulders.

"It makes me feel like I can do anything with you beside me," Robin said, kissing Starfire soundly. Starfire smiled as they broke the kiss, but still seemed quieter than Robin was used to. He expected her to be bubbling over with excitement tonight. She had not been back to Tamaran in at least two years.

"Is something bothering you, Star?" Robin asked, gesturing for her to sit down with him on a couch nearby. "You've been awfully quiet ever since your parents told us about the feast."

"It is not the feast, Robin. I am very happy about the feast," Starfire replied, still less enthused than she should be.

"Then what is it?" Robin asked, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"I am...worried...About the Obsequium," Starfire murmured. Robin raised an eyebrow.

"The what? Wait a minute. I get it. You're worried about tonight. Our wedding night," Robin reasoned. Starfire let her head fall forward into her hands. Robin had had no idea that she was so concerned about it.

"Starfire, I love you," Robin said, lifting her chin with his finger. "I don't want you to be worried about this. I would never hurt you, Star."

"It is just, my sister, Blackfire, she told me once that it was terrible and painful and..."

Starfire never got to finish her sentence. Robin lowered his face to hers and kissed her. It was so tender, so passionate and gentle that Starfire nearly lost her breath.

"It won't be terrible, Star, and from what I hear, it's the farthest thing from painful," Robin replied, his thumb brushing over her cheek. Before Starfire could reply, the pilot announced that they were approaching Tamaran and the newlyweds returned to their seats in the main area of the ship. This time, Starfire's smile seemed much more genuine, and with this, Robin smiled as well.

* * *

Beast Boy and Raven were not a really 'lovey-dovey' couple. To all appearances, the two did very little cuddling, kissing, and things of that sort. Beast Boy held her hand occasionally, whether in the Tower or out on the town, and she indulged his pet names for her. It was only on rare occasions that any of the other Teen Titans witnessed a kiss between them. The others were certain that there was a logical explanation for this, and they were also certain that it had to do primarily with Raven. Being of a particularly stoic personality, the lack of displays of affection made perfect sense. What the others couldn't figure out, was how Beast Boy learned to be so patient.

"I'd of thought the guy would be a shriveled former shell of himself by now, starved of the affection that he knows she can dish out," Cyborg commented one night as he, Jinx and Torque spent the remainder of the evening sitting in the living area near the top of Titans Tower.

"Or maybe they're holding out to make their wedding night sweeter," Torque smiled, remembering the lacy, short, dark blue silk nightgown that Raven had bought when she thought the others weren't looking. The kids chuckled as they sat in amiable quiet in the living room area. It was getting late and the three remaining Titans were getting sleepier as the minutes ticked by. They were waiting for Raven and Beast Boy to come back inside from their walk so that Cyborg could lock down the Tower for the night.

Torque's eyes were drooping shut when Beast Boy's voice was heard over the communicators.

"We're back, Cy. Go ahead and lock up," Beast Boy said. Cy went to stand and found that both Jinx and Torque had fallen asleep. Cyborg had been lying down on the couch and Jinx was cuddled between him and the couch cushions. Torque was curled like a cat at the other end, her head propped on one arm. Cyborg smiled, lifted Jinx with him as he stood, and went to lock down the Tower. Once this was done, he returned to the couch and lifted Torque into his free hand and carried both of them to their rooms before retiring himself. Before shutting down, Cyborg stared out his bedroom window at the stars.

"Goodnight, Rob and Star, wherever you guys are," he murmured, plugging himself in and falling asleep.


	9. When You Say Nothing at All

_Chapter 9: When You Say Nothing at All _

The guest bedrooms in Titans Tower were situated just one floor above the team quarters. Cyborg had made sure that Jinx's room was directly above his when she moved in and tonight, he was glad he did. Cyborg's sensitive auditory equipment snapped to attention when a thud above him told him that Jinx had fallen out of bed.

Getting up, Cyborg mounted the stairs and crossed the hall to Jinx's room and opened the door. Jinx was indeed on the floor, thrashing and crying out in the throes of an obviously terrible nightmare. Cyborg knelt down and picked her up, urging her to wake up. When she opened her eyes, she gasped to see Cyborg there.

"What happened?" she gasped.

"You were having a nightmare. I heard you fall out of bed and came up to make sure you were all right," Cyborg replied.

"Really?" Jinx whispered, her pink, cat-like eyes wide and child-like in the dim light of the room.

"Yeah, really," Cyborg murmured, placing her back on her bed. He was surprised at how small she seemed this way. As a matter of fact, all of his teammates seemed small in his massive grasp. "Wanna talk about that nightmare? It sounded like a real doozy."

Jinx frowned. She hated admitting that she had been afraid of anything. One couldn't afford to be afraid of anything when they work for someone like Slade. Still, Cyborg's eyes reflected no judgment, no condescendence, but genuine concern and gentle understanding, something that Jinx had not experienced since she was very small. She told Cyborg about her fear that Brother Blood and Slade would come after her to finish the job. Traitors often didn't live to tell their stories.

"What scares me more than anything is that I'm not afraid of them," Jinx said softly, picking at the edge of her dress. "I'm afraid of what they can do. I'm not afraid for myself. I probably deserve everything they have planned for me. I'm afraid for you and the other Titans. You've all been so good to me and I don't want you all to have to pay for my mistakes." Jinx's eyes welled with tears and she wilted into Cyborg's arms.

"It's okay, Jinx," Cyborg soothed. "Everything's gonna be all right. Ol' Cyborg's not gonna let anything happen to you. The Teen Titans have been up against Slade before. We got Robin out and we'll get you out too. We've already gone in the right direction; you're here."

"But it's been so quiet all week. I can't help thinking that their up to something—planning something. Cyborg, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to you," Jinx cried.

"Don't you worry about that right now. Everything's okay. We'll deal with Slade and his buddies when the time comes. For now, just go back to sleep," Cyborg said, pulling the blankets back up to Jinx's shoulders. Lightly, he kissed the top of her head and then went back to his own room. She was right. Things had been way too quiet, but Cyborg was determined not to make the others panic. He only hoped that the stillness remained until Robin and Starfire returned from Tamaran. To fight Slade and Brother Blood, they would need all the firepower they could get.

As he settled back down to bed, Cyborg considered calling some of their allies in other cities: Speedy, Aqualad, Sunspot and even ShadowFox were all friends that Cyborg knew the Titans could count on. As a last resort, Cyborg even remembered Robin saying something about contacting Batman. As sleep claimed the cybernetic teen again, he prayed that this wasn't the beginning of a war.

Far away, on Tamaran, Robin and Starfire had had the time of their lives. The elaborate, extensive feast that her parents had prepared had been amazing, and Robin was finding that he was developing a fondness for some of the native dishes of this strangely peaceful planet. Robin had never met a more passionate people. The Tamaranians had a capacity for love and peace that he wished could he could bottle and bring back to earth with him. It made more sense to him now why Starfire had been so eager to fit in, and so naïve to the motives of evil-doers. Crime was virtually non-existent here, and the cities were clean, well kept, and prosperous.

Robin and Starfire retired for the night in a large, spacious bedroom of her parent's estate. When Robin entered the room, his eyes grew large and his mouth dropped open.

"Wow. Star? Is this your room?" Robin asked. Starfire nodded. Robin walked farther into the room and grinned as he jumped high into the air and landed with a soft thud on Starfire's bed. Lying on his back and folding his arms behind his head, Robin looked over at his wife. She finished brushing out her hair and then joined him, curling up beside him on the bed.

"Your parents told me that the markings on our robes were symbols of an ancient Tamaranian language. What do they mean?" Robin asked. Starfire lightly reached out to touch each symbol as she interpreted it.

"Wealth...Prosperity...Longevity...Peace..." she looked up at Robin as she said the rest, "Friendship...Joy...and Passion..." As soon as the last word left her lips, Robin took her face in his hands and pulled her to him in a romantic kiss. Before the night was over, the young husband and wife would become true soul mates.

The days passed quickly after that night, and soon, Robin and Starfire were on their way back to earth. When they arrived at Titans Tower, it was quiet...too quiet.

"Starfire, where is everybody?" Robin asked. He went to one of the computer terminals and checked the security cameras. No one. All of their fellow Titans were gone.

"There must have been some emergency!" Starfire cried, joining him near the computer console. "I told mother we never should have left them!"

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation for all of this," Robin replied, pulling his communicator from his belt.

"But what if they are in trouble? What if Slade has taken them all prisoner?" Starfire cried.

"Titans, come in!" Robin cried into his communicator. Silence and static were the only reply. "Raven! Cyborg! Can anyone hear me?" Starfire's face lost its color. She was certain that something terrible had befallen their friends.

"It can't be...the locator chips all say that everyone is here—even Jinx and Torque—Where are they?" Robin stammered.

"Your wife is very astute, Robin. Congratulations are in order," Slade's voice chimed in. Rage suddenly boiled under Robin's skin.

"What did you do with them?" Robin shouted.

"Why don't you ask your darkling friend," Slade replied, closing the communication relay. Suddenly, the newlyweds heard a choking sound and a cry from downstairs.

"Help! cough choke Help me, please! gasp and choke somebody please help me!"

"Raven!" Robin screamed.

"We are coming!" Starfire shouted, lifting into the air. The two rushed down to the fourth floor chemistry lab, where a fire was ravaging the room. The smoke that billowed out from underneath the door was foul smelling and thick, and they could hear Raven's voice getting weaker as the seconds rushed by. Starfire charged one of her energy bolts and Robin cried, "No! It's too dangerous! It would be like lighting a match in there! The whole Tower would go up, Starfire!"

"But how are we to get her out?" cried Starfire.

"Go back upstairs and hit the emergency exhaust fans! Hurry! I'll get Raven out!" Robin cried, taking a deep breath and forcing the laboratory doors open. Raven had stopped calling for help and Robin's lungs were already pounding for lack of air. Robin found Raven lying on the floor of the lab, her arms crossed over her chest and bound with layer after layer of thick duct tape. If she had tried to use her powers, she would have killed herself. Robin lifted her unconscious form into his arms and ran from the room three seconds after the emergency fans kicked in.

Robin coughed out the breath he had held for so long as he collapsed to his knees and placed Raven on the floor. Using one of his bird-a-rangs, he ripped the tape from Raven's arms.

"C'mon, Raven, breathe!" Robin cried, tipping her head back and lifting her chin. He leaned down close to Raven's face and felt for her breath but felt nothing. Robin coughed one more time before pinching Raven's nose and opening her mouth.

"Robin, what's happening?" Starfire cried, joining him there in the hall.

"Have to perform...cough CPR...only way to...cough save her!" Robin stuttered. Robin forced four deep breaths into Raven's lungs before she gasped and coughed, finally breathing on her own again. Robin gently rolled Raven onto her side as she continued to cough and he rubbed her back in slow circles as she regained control of her breath.

"You're home...thought I was...going to die in there..." Raven panted. Robin squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm only glad we found you in time. That was close," Robin replied.

"A little too close," Raven replied.

"What has happened?" Starfire asked.

"We walked right into an ambush. Gizmo and Mammoth staged a bank robbery in order to lure us out into the open. Slade and Brother Blood were on us faster than we could respond. They took Cyborg, Beast Boy and Jinx. I think Torque escaped but I couldn't find her. Plasmus was waiting for me when I got back here. Slade's planning to release all of the monsters we've put away for the last three years. Robin, we have to do something!" Raven explained.

"Torque could be in trouble also! Where would we begin to look for her?" cried Starfire.

"Good question. We need to get out there--now. Raven, are you strong enough to come along?" Robin replied.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world," Raven replied, her voice already stronger than it was five minutes before. She stood as Robin and Starfire helped her up, and then followed along behind the T-Cycle as Robin sped through the city streets.


	10. Chasing After an Echo

_Chapter 10: Chasing After an Echo_

_A/N: Special guest appearance by the Dark Knight starting with this chapter. Welcome to the team, Batman! _

* * *

"Where will we start? We were all separated during the battle," Raven asked as they sped along. Suddenly, a blip flashed on Robin's scanner.

"Torque!" Robin cried. "I had a lock on her and then the signal went dead. I've got the coordinates! Follow me!" Robin took a shortcut down an alley, around a corner and up the next street. He jetted along for a while and then made another sharp turn, this time to the right. Deftly, the girls kept up, Starfire soaring up above the buildings, skimming the rooftops and Raven hovering low and using the shadows. When they reached the place where they had last seen Torque's signal, it looked as though there had been a devastating battle. The dust was still settling and burning debris still floated in the air as if they had just missed a massive explosion. Robin stopped the T-Cycle and proceeded through on foot as the girls touched down on the ground behind him.

"Robin, what has happened here?" Starfire asked softly.

"Are you sure this is where you saw the blip?" Raven asked.

"Positive. I don't get it. We should have heard the explosion," Robin replied.

"Wait," Raven said suddenly. She dropped to one knee and picked up something off the ground.

"Torque's sweatshirt!" Starfire gasped.

"She was here. But what happened to her?" Raven asked. It didn't matter if she was wearing khakis, jeans, or shorts—Torque never went anywhere without that same black, hooded, zip-up sweatshirt.

"Oh dear!" Starfire whimpered. As they stood and wondered what to do next, Raven caught a movement in the shadows out of the corner of her eye. Raven whirled to see what it was and Starfire shrieked in fear. Raven cried out, "Azarath, metrion, zinthos!" as she summoned a large wooden crate and threw it at the shadow-shrouded stranger. The crate didn't miss its target. The man went down with a cry of pain as the wooden box hit him square in the back and he hit the ground hard. He lifted his torso a little on the support of his forearm and appeared to wince in pain. Raven sailed up over the top of him and poised herself to strike again when the man spoke.

"Nice shot," he grimaced. Raven didn't respond and was about to ask who he was when Robin and Starfire caught up. Starfire was charging her energy bolts and the light from them inadvertently told her friends who their mysterious stranger was. The masked, black clad, heavily muscled man rose from the ground and Robin suddenly dropped his bird-a-rang.

"Bruce!" Robin cried, running to embrace the Dark Knight. A chuckle emanated from beneath the black mask and pointed ears of Batman. Starfire and Raven stood amazed as Robin stood back and shook hands with the man who raised him.

"Your friend is a crack shot...literally," Batman said. "I think she put stress fractures in three vertebrae. By the way, you can tell your wife she can put down her starbolts. I'm not a threat." Raven blushed at the compliment as Robin looked up at Batman with a look of surprise.

"How did you know?" Robin asked as Starfire lowered her hands.

"It was pretty hard to miss the announcement in the paper that your friends made sure was there," Batman grinned. Robin and Starfire blushed for embarrassment. They had no idea that the team had done that.

"That must have been Torque's idea," Robin muttered.

"Actually..." Raven said, letting the rest of the sentence say itself. Robin gave Raven a good natured scowl.

"Anyway, I heard about Slade and his plan to pull a jailbreak. I'd like to help if I could," Batman offered.

"We'd like that. We need to find the rest of our friends. Slade likes an audience and usually waits until we're watching, but the last time he—"

"I know, Robin. I read the report," Batman said somberly. He rested a hand on Robin's shoulder as the Boy Wonder hung his head. Batman knew how much his boy protégé hated to fail.

"You performed well on that mission. There are grown men that would not have been able to deal with what you took out there. As a matter of fact, I don't think even I could have taken that kind of punishment," Batman remarked. Robin shrugged his hand off.

"You're just saying that," Robin said softly. "You're just trying to make me feel better."

"Robin, he made you watch us all die. When we found you, you were pressed up against a corner and you were clutching things that Slade made you believe were a part of us. My cloak, Starfire's ring, Beast Boy's..." Raven couldn't bring herself to finish.

"I know. I was there. Remember?" Robin replied coldly. Raven shrank back a bit, her blue eyes narrowing behind the shadows in her hood.

"They're only trying to help you and so am I. I saw your friend Torque twenty minutes ago. She's got talent, but she wasn't holding up very well tonight. She looked like she'd been through a fist fight or two already tonight," Batman said. Suddenly putting aside the dispute over Robin's ordeal, the Titans followed Batman into the moonless night in the direction of where he had seen Torque.

As the Titans approached the pier and the broken down ship builder's warehouse, they heard a scream and then froze as one of Slade's robot henchmen was hurled through one of the large, age-yellowed windows. Batman's jaw dropped, Robin pulled back in surprise and the girls froze midair.

"Okay..." Robin said for lack of anything better to say.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I think we found Torque," Raven added.

"It was not a very long branch—Look!" Starfire pointed as the large bay doors of the warehouse burst open as if they were paper and fire rained out into the expansive paved lot outside. Torque backed out of the doorway with the mechanical tentacles of three of the robots around her limbs. Amazingly, she was still fighting. She indeed looked as bad as Batman had suggested and with this, the Titans and the Dark Knight swung into action.

A fourth robot came charging out of the warehouse and threw a large object at Torque. She was hit and went down hard, crying out as she slid across the asphalt.

"Starfire! Raven! Shockwave!" Robin shouted.

"Yes!"

"You got it, Robin!"

The girls circled high in the air, Raven summoning her powers and Starfire hers. When the girls flew higher, they suddenly rushed head-on toward one another and slammed their hands together and then turned to face their opponents. The resulting shock wave shattered the rest of the windows of the frail old warehouse and rocked the ground below where Robin and Batman were running. The robots never knew what hit them.

"In your faces!" Raven cried triumphantly.

"Take that!" yelled Starfire.

"Nice job, girls!" Robin cried, pulling his staff from his belt and joining Batman in decimating the remaining robots. Just before the shockwave hit, Raven used her powers to grab hold of Torque and pull her out of harms way. With her in tow, Raven jetted past the battle field and set down on one of the docks. Gingerly, she placed Torque on the ground and the girl moaned softly before passing out.

"Torque!" Raven cried. Raven used her powers to heal Torque's broken wrist and then waited for her to wake up. As she waited, the others caught up to her.

"I can't believe she was still fighting through all that," Robin said softly.

"She was in a lot of pain. Her wrist was broken in three places," Raven added.

"At least she's all right. Now we can concentrate on finding the others," Robin said, starting to recover his leader-of-the-team attitude. He had been secretly afraid that Batman would try to play the role of the leader when this was a Titans mission. Robin was grateful that Bruce was respecting his newfound leadership role.

Torque came around a minute later, her blue eyes blinking open slowly.

"What happened?" Torque mumbled, her head still spinning from the pain. "I thought I broke that wrist."

"Raven's pretty good with her hands," Robin quipped. Torque smiled and looked over at Raven.

"Thanks, Rae," she said.

"No problem," Raven replied.

"Torque, did you see where they took the others?" Batman asked.

"No. I tracked them here and then lost them when they flew out over the bay in some sort of cargo helicopter. It got pretty brutal. The boys wouldn't go without a fight," Torque replied. She stood with the support of Raven and Starfire's arms before she continued. "Beast Boy took a really nasty hit. Slade blurted out what he was going to do to Raven and he went ape-shit. Literally. One of the robot foot soldiers gave him the shock treatment of his life. He was really hurtin' when they managed to get him on the chopper."

"Why didn't you stop them?" Raven growled. "You could have held back the helicopter. You could have saved them!"

"Whoah! Hey! In case you can't remember, I had four bots of my own to worry about. Even if I had tried, I couldn't have done both and I sure as hell couldn't have saved them if I was dead," Torque shot back. Raven buried her head in her hood and turned away. She didn't want the others to see her cry.

"There aren't many places that are reachable by helicopter once you leave the bay," Robin said. "We need to get the T-Sub. C'mon!"

With this, the Titans took off for Titans Tower to reorganize. An hour later, they were off again; this time in hot pursuit of their three remaining friends.

"I've got another echo! It's Cyborg's repair beacon! He installed it just in case his battery died in the field. He didn't want to be stranded and not have us be able to find him. Now I'm really glad he did! Titans, launch!" Robin announced.


	11. Everybody Wants to Rule the World

_Chapter 11: Everybody Wants to Rule the World_

Once they were in the T-Sub and cruising along the ocean floor, Raven found herself thinking about her missing fiancé. The two had been meditating together in the evenings, performing a special meditation that Raven had discovered for couples. To her surprise, Beast Boy had caught on rather quickly, and the connection between them grew. The meditation had required looking directly into one another's eyes, something that had taken quite a bit of practice for Beast Boy to master without succumbing to the need to kiss her, they had managed.

Raven wasn't all together certain that she was ready for their wedding night. She loved Beast Boy and was sure she was ready to marry him, but she hadn't been able to handle the idea of another man taking her clothes off, even if it was her husband. Now that she knew that he was in mortal danger, she began to regret pushing him away.

He had tried to hide his disappointment when she panicked one night. They had been kissing after the rest of the team had retired to bed, and Beast Boy very gently nudged her backwards against the couch cushions. He moved from her lips to her neck and as good as it felt, the drug-distorted images of what happened the night she was assaulted were still as clear as the night it happened. She had pushed him away from her and cried out, "No! I can't!" Saddened, Beast Boy reached for her, wanting to hold her until her fears were gone again, but she wouldn't hear of it. He had followed her downstairs, but only kissed her cheek before retiring to his own room.

Returning herself to the present, Raven choked back tears. Now she may never get the chance to redeem herself. What she wouldn't give now for the chance to let him hold her, let him kiss her, let him...

They were getting out of the T-Sub now, walking out onto a man-made island and Raven hadn't heard a word of Robin's instructions. Batman saw this and leaned down to the young woman's ear as he rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"We'll find him, Raven," came his deep voice. Raven swallowed a sob and nodded, but several seashells on the beach still exploded as she stifled the feelings inside her.

"I know we will," Raven replied, her voice raw with emotion.

"Chin up. He'll need your strength tonight as well as his own. Wherever he is," Batman added. Raven didn't need to be told twice. She lifted her head, straightened her back, and turned her eyes toward the cold stone building ahead of them.

"Cyborg's signal is getting stronger. We're getting closer to them," Robin said checking his scanner for the signal.

"Be careful, everyone. We have no idea what kind of traps Slade has planted in this place. There could be traps wired to his prisoners. If we bump or hit a specific target, it could cause harm or death to one of the others," Batman warned. The three young adults around him nodded in acknowledgement. Each of them took a deep breath and proceeded to the entrance.

"Raven and Torque take the basement, Starfire take the roof and the exterior walls, Robin, you're with me," Batman commanded, watching as each of the kids nodded in acknowledgement. Robin craned his neck to watch the girls take off in their respective directions.

"I know what you're thinking. She'll be okay, Robin," Batman said as gently as he could.

"Oh, I know she will. It's just that I've never worried about her like this before," Robin said with a soft smile. Batman smirked and grinned.

"I'm afraid that us superheroes have only a select few within our scope and most of them could pretty easily take us out," Batman commented, sighing. Robin grinned slyly.

"So, Wonder Woman _can_ kick your butt," Robin replied with a grin. Batman scowled good naturedly and took Robin's head under arm and into a headlock, smiling as the younger man giggled softly and squirmed. Batman released him as he heard the metallic thud of robotic feet. Slade's henchmen were nearby. The scanner in Robin's hand went crazy.

"We must be close; Cyborg's signal is getting stronger. Maybe we found them," Robin said.

"Don't get your hopes up. It may be just Cyborg. Perhaps the girls have already found one of them," Batman replied. As Batman and Robin glanced around the corner to see how many bots there were, they had no idea how right Batman had been—Starfire had found Beast Boy.

As she flew up over the roof of the building, she spotted a low platform across the way on the other side of the roof. Suspended from the scaffolding, one limb confined to a long chain at each end of each corner, was Beast Boy. The top half of his uniform had been ripped off, his utility belt was crushed on the ground and he was unconscious. Starfire could puddle on the ground beneath her green-skinned friend. It looked thick and in the twilight of the sun and moon changing their watch, the liquid appeared nearly black. Starfire's heart thudded against her ribs as she came closer. When Beast Boy didn't respond to her touch, she flew around behind him and discovered the source of the puddle of liquid beneath him. If Starfire had had anything in her stomach, it would have come back up when she saw Beast Boy's back. The shape-shifter's back looked as though it had taken 50 lashes with an ordinary whip and then some sort of claw had been used. The blood from his wounds was what Starfire had seen. Reacting out of sheer panic, Starfire used her starbolts to blast the chains from their anchor points and Beast Boy fell limply to the ground. Starfire rushed to his side and wept as she desperately tried to find a way to hold him that would not cause pain to his wounds.

"Beast Boy!" Starfire cried. "Oh, Beast Boy please awaken! Beast Boy!" When he didn't respond, Starfire fumbled for her communicator.

"Robin!" she begged. "Oh, Robin come in, please!" she was still crying and her hands were shaking as she held her communicator. Seconds plodded by like lead weights being dropped into the pit of her stomach. Robin's face appeared finally in the tiny screen.

"Starfire, what's wrong!" he demanded, wild-eyed fear evident in his voice and expression.

"I have located Beast Boy but he is injured so badly..." she couldn't seem to finish her sentence. Starfire felt her throat thicken with nausea. Her palms were covered with Beast Boy's blood and in the distance she could hear approaching reinforcements of the guards running toward the basement. Raven and Torque must have been discovered.

"We're less than 15 miles from the Tower. Take Beast Boy and fly him home. Stay there and take care of him. We can handle the rest of this without you. Quickly, Starfire, go!" Robin ordered. Starfire dried her eyes and nodded. Gingerly lifting her friend, Starfire rose into the air and took off toward Titans Tower, skillfully dodging weapons fire from their enemies as she went.

In the dark, dank lower floor of the island complex, Raven and Torque were using everything within reach to fight the swarm of robot henchmen that came at them from all directions.

"Batter up!" yelled Torque, projecting her powers to pull together a group of the marauding robots. Once she had them in her grasp she turned around and slung the group across the wide open basement room where Raven was poised with an oak log from a stack of unfinished materials. Using her powers to energize the log she wielded it like a baseball bat and not only did Torque's handful of robots meet a violent end, but the corresponding rebound of the robots knocked out many more.

"Home run!" cried Raven. "Azarath, metrion, zinthos!" The log fractured with a loud crack minutes later, forcing Raven to turn to the next one in the stack. Another wave of the bots charged through the door and Raven screamed, "There are too many! We'll never make it out of here!"

"Leave it to me!" Torque shouted back. Summoning her powers in a thunderous bolt of orange energy, swept all of the bots into one grasp and pushed them together toward the wide open doors to the outside. Taking one last slap shot with the tree trunk, Raven joined her, using her own telekinetic powers to push as well.

"On the count of three!" Torque growled, gritting her teeth as she strained to keep the rabble together. "One! Two! THREE!" Raven gave the group one more good shove and Torque squeezed, instantly turning the room full of robots into one neat, compacted square bale of scrap metal. Torque and Raven stood for a moment to admire their handiwork.

"Nice work," said Raven.

"Not bad," said Torque, smiling. "Let's go find the others." Just then, Starfire's desperate call for help crackled over their communicators as well as Robin's reply. Raven's already pale complexion blanched even more when she heard Starfire's report. It frightened her to see Starfire panic so badly. Granted, she was typically emotional to the point of irrational, but this was a different panic. This was a 'I don't know if he's going to live or die' panic. Raven's cerulean eyes flashed with fear as she and Torque listened. When the messages ended, Raven made a move for the door and Torque grabbed her by the wrist.

"You can't just leave me here!" Torque cried. "I need your help! Cyborg and Jinx need you! Starfire took awesome care of Robin when he was recovering from that horror house of Slade's. Trust her to take just as good a care of Beast Boy. Now come on! We don't have much time left!" Torque cried. Raven tugged her wrist away and gave Torque a look of helplessness. One direction led to more battles, to saving Jinx and Cyborg and to defeating Slade and Brother Blood. The other led back to Titans Tower, to safety, and to the side of her ailing fiancé. Raven let a tear slip down her cheek as she swallowed hard and said, "Because I love him so much, I can't disappoint him now. Which way do we go?"

Finally ducking into the hidden emergency entrance to Titans Tower, Starfire gently placed Beast Boy on his stomach on the bed in the Titans small medical bay. It was rarely needed, but today, Starfire was glad they had it. She knew little about medicine beyond simple first aid, and that would not be enough for this. All Starfire knew was that it was a good thing he was unconscious, because it was going to hurt worse than anything she could imagine when she tried to clean his wounds. She was also going to have to try to use the spray-on wound adhesive that Robin had found one day while gathering supplies for the Tower. It worked better than a bandage, and worked well for larger wounds. By the time Starfire was done, she had had to wrap Beast Boy's entire torso in white bandage in order to cover his back and sides. The adhesive seemed to be holding, and as Starfire finished gently cleaning the dirt, sweat and tiny clumps of blood out of his hair, Beast Boy started to come around. The first thing he felt was a nice cool washcloth being swept over his head and face. It felt so good he was content to just lie there with his eyes closed and allow whoever was doing this wonderful thing for him to continue. When he felt his caretaker lift his head into her hand and softly wash his face, he allowed his eyes to blink open.

"Beast Boy?" Starfire ventured, seeing his eyes opening. Lightly, she relaxed his head back onto the bed and watched intently to see if he would be all right.

"Starfire...where am I?" Beast Boy murmured. He couldn't seem to move without some part of him hurting. Every muscle movement caused a shooting fire of pain and he listened as Starfire recounted the ordeal to him. He heard most of it. He managed to stay awake long enough to hear that Raven was alive and that, as far as he was concerned, was all that mattered. Beast Boy gulped down several glasses of water that Starfire offered him and then his dazzling emerald eyes drooped shut. Starfire saw this and covered him with a warm blanket before turning the lights down but not off, and turning on the monitor that tracked a patient's vital signs. She stood for a moment and looked at Beast Boy, thanking her goddess that Beast Boy had lived.

Starfire walked out into the hallway and clicked on her communicator. "Robin, can you hear me?"

"I read you, Starfire. How's Beast Boy?"

"He is resting. He will recover completely," Starfire replied. She could almost feel the relief that this gave not just Robin, but the others that were listening. Robin and Raven's smiles were all the thanks she needed.

"Is he awake?" Raven asked.

"He is not. He fell asleep several minutes ago. Have you located Cyborg and Jinx?" Starfire replied.

"We're standing outside the chamber now. We'll report back in about an hour," Robin told her.

"Understood," Starfire said, closing her communicator. Too exhausted to do much else, Starfire went upstairs to the kitchen area and fixed herself a snack before sitting down on the couch and falling asleep herself.


	12. Battlefiled Blitz

_Chapter 12: Battlefield Blitz _

Starfire was awakened half an hour later by the dissonant din of the monitor's alarm. Beast Boy wasn't breathing. She rushed back down to the medical bay and stopped short before Beast Boy's bed. Starfire couldn't help feeling helpless: she remembered little of the lifesaving CPR that Robin had taught the team months ago. Feeling that no matter what, she ought to try, Starfire gave it her all. Minutes later, Starfire was sitting down in the chair beside Beast Boy, holding his hand as she cried. She had managed to get Beast Boy to breathe again, but the monitor showed that what breath he did have was shallow, and that his blood pressure and pulse were weak at best. Even though she understood little about what all of those things meant, she knew that it definitely wasn't good.

"Please" she whimpered. "Please don't give up. Keep fighting, Beast Boy, you must liveâ€Raven will surely die of a broken heart without youâ€the Teen Titans will beâ€incomplete without you. Youâ€don't have to let go"

Far away, inside the island fortress, Torque and Raven met up with Robin and Batman in the junction that led to the innermost room, the one that they had tracked Cyborg's signal to.

"How are we going to get in?" Raven hissed to Robin.

"We really can't just waltz in, can we?" Robin quipped in return.

"Waltz?" Torque murmured. "That's it! Robin, you're a genius!" The others looked at her oddly. "Our primary obstacle is that there are security cameras all up and down the main hall. It's just like the surveillance setup in the halls in Titans Tower. If you move at just the right time, you can hide in the blackout areas of the camera arcs."

Robin folded his arms over his chest and Raven settled her hands on her hips.

"And how would you know that?" Robin asked.

"My parents were spies. Taught me everything they knew," Torque replied, pulling a pin from her hair. "Raven, gimme a lift, wouldja?" Torque picked the panel on the camera that swept around the area of the tee shaped crossing in the hall. She rewired the camera and then signaled Raven to let her down.

"I rewired the camera for a continuous feedback loop. It will repeat everything it saw on the last sweep but it won't pick up anything new. We should be able to sneak in between the arcs of the first two cameras any minute now. Just wait for my signal and follow my lead. The tricks your mother can teach you," Torque said, dusting off her hands. Robin scratched his head in amazement. Batman just chuckled.

One by one, the heroes ducked and stopped, ducked and stopped, all the way down one side of the hall until they reached the large steel door. Torque pulled the panel away and tripped the cameras off. They heard a voice from inside call, "Hey! What's going on? The surveillance system in this corridor isn't working!" With this, the Titans waited with nervous anticipation for the guards to come out to fix it, and one by one, the team silently defeated them. Once this was finished, the team triggered the door and Robin motioned for them to move silently into the room and keep to the shadows.

Brother Blood and Slade were alone inside the expansive inner sanctum with their prisoners. Cyborg's arm was on the floor, but the rest of him was strapped down to a raised metal platform in the center of the room. He screamed as Slade removed the cybernetic arm and Jinx screamed with him. She was chained to a wall across from him, forced to watch them disassemble him one piece at a time.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Jinx screamed. "Cyborg, no!"

"You brought this on, Jinx. Troublemakers cannot keep it from themselves," Brother Blood replied.

"I'll do anything you ask! Just please stop hurting him! Let him go! You got who you wanted!" Jinx wailed.

Slade stopped what he was doing and Brother Blood extended a hand and made the chains around Jinx's wrists and ankles disappear. She dropped to the floor and Cyborg watched in horror as Brother Blood walked up to Jinx, bearing something beneath his cloak.

"You are a liability, Jinx. We cannot afford to have any loose cannons in our organization," Brother Blood said gravely. Jinx seemed to intrinsically understand. She rose to her knees and looked up at Brother Blood as he brandished a long, wide-bladed sword.

"No!" Cyborg screamed, renewing his struggle to get free. Slade backhanded the robotic man and Robin had to hold Raven's hands to keep the villains from seeing how they were glowing with black energy. They would only watch seconds more before

Jinx took a deep breath, swallowed hard and then bowed her head to Brother Blood. Brother Blood raised the sword and it glinted in the dim light. Raven was practically hyperventilating. Robin watched the scene and then suddenly said, "Raven!" She concentrated on the sword and whispered, "Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" Robin released her hands and the sword in Brother Blood's hands suddenly became lodged in the air as Robin cried out, "Titans! Go!" The others bounded out of the shadows and joined him as he pulled his staff from his belt and charged his oldest nemesis.

As Robin approached, Slade, too, produced a staff and seconds later, all one could see was the blur of staffs and the strained expressions on their faces. Robin jumped and flipped over Slade and Slade turned to meet him again and swept his feet out from under him. Robin rolled and brought his staff across again, making contact behind Slade's knees. The villain came down like a ton of brick and Robin leapt into the air, coming down with the intent to slam his staff down across Slade's back. The older man moved just milliseconds before Robin would have hit him and the Boy Wonder had little time to react. Robin hit the floor but kicked out of the position and was back up seconds later.

Across the room, Raven soared into the air and pushed off the wall to fly at Brother Blood. He was still pulling at the sword, trying to get it to come down on its target. As Raven approached, she didn't see two new people entering the room out of the corner of her eye. Gizmo and Mammoth wasted no time. Mammoth picked up a large steel crate from the edge of the room and threw it at the young Azarian, hitting her before she could reach her destination. The inertia of the hit sent Raven flying across the room with the crate and slamming into the wall. When she lost consciousness, her hold on the sword released and Brother Blood inadvertently slammed the blade down.

When this happened, Cyborg, who was still watching from the plateau he was restrained to, screamed out for someone to help her. Robin managed to throw Slade across the room and turned for just a few seconds: just long enough to see the blade come down and to see the body of the pink haired villainess-turned-heroine go limp on the floor. Most of the top half of her body was hidden behind more of the crates in the room, but Cyborg was sure of what he saw. Pushing his mechanical musculature to the limits, Cyborg screamed as he popped the metal bands that held him down and sprang off the tabletop. He picked up his disembodied arm and reattached it to his body. As he did this, Brother Blood turned to him, a look of sheer, unadulterated malice in his gaze. But before Cyborg could attack, a black streak came out of the shadows, tackling the man from behind and taking him to the ground. As Cyborg stood shocked beneath the spotlight, he watched as Batman wrestled Brother Blood for the sword. Cyborg turned his attention to the girl laying not 20 paces away.

Torque had seen it when Raven was hit. It was a core part of Torque's philosophy that her friends were off limits. No one touched them unless they were asking for trouble and that was a line that most if not all of the villains that Torque had faced never crossed. Gizmo and Mammoth had just crossed it. Torque made a running leap across the room and landed on the back of Gizmo's arachnid-like backpack and used her enhanced strength to crush it as he screamed for her to get off. He tried to buck her off, but dexterous Torque wouldn't be moved. The blinding orange glow of her hands told Gizmo that he was in big trouble but he couldn't move her. She screamed out as she let go of Gizmo and jumped backwards, using her powers to twist and contort the spider legs of Gizmo's suit and send him crashing to the ground.

Torque hit the ground and rolled. When she opened her eyes, Mammoth was bearing down on top of her, having jumped down off the lofty rafters of the room. She raised her hands in defense but she need not have. Mammoth was suddenly surrounded by black energy and yanked back up into the air. Raven gritted her teeth as she slammed Mammoth up against the wall and then took the crate he had thrown at her and threw it back at him. Mammoth screamed and then groaned as he bore the attack.

By now, Robin had maneuvered himself into a position of power and Slade was on his knees. Robin, in his fury, came across and lowered the bow onto Slade's back. The sickening crack told him the Slade wasn't going anywhere for a while. When he looked up, he saw Batman slam Brother Blood against the floor and begin to punch him. The sword that Brother Blood was holding was in the hand that Batman was holding against the floor with his knee, and the old man's face was taut with fear. As well it should have been, for the last conscious thing Brother Blood saw was Batman's angry face before his fist made contact with Brother Blood's face.

Despite the fact that the older man was blatantly incapacitated, Batman continued to beat Brother Blood until Robin cried out, "Batman, stop!" His breath heaving in his chest, Batman looked up at his Boy Wonder and then in the direction he pointed. Batman's anger was clearly due to the attack on Jinx, but when Batman turned around, he knew why Robin told him to stop. The Dark Knight punched Brother Blood one more time for good measure and then stood.

Cyborg was coming back toward the spotlight carrying Jinx. She was in one pieceâ€and alive! Her eyes blinked open as he walked into the ring of light and she looked at Cyborg in wonder.

"What happened? Have I died?" Jinx whispered hoarsely. Torque arrived seconds later, limping along as she leaned on Raven's shoulder.

"No, kiddo. You made it. We all did," Torque replied. Raven smiled and with her, one by one, so did the others.

"Titansâ€and Batmanâ€let's go home," Robin said, welcoming Batman's hand on his shoulder. As they headed for the door, the communicators went off. It was Starfire. In seconds, their victorious revelry was sent crashing to the ground: Beast Boy was dying.


	13. How am I Supposed to Live Without You?

_Chapter 13: How Can I Just Let You Go?_

"_You told me to call. You said you'd be there. And though I haven't seen you, are you still there? I cried out with no reply and I can't feel you by my side so I hold tight to what I know: you're here and I'm never alone." Barlow Girl—Never Alone_

For Raven, the whole world moved in slow motion. The trip back to the tower seemed to take forever, but once they were back, she felt like a character from a movie they had once seen. The heroine in the film was losing the man she loved to some terrible disease and she very nearly didn't make it to his side before he died. The movie had left most of the team in tears, and it was plainly one of the saddest any of them had ever seen. Raven felt that way today. Her legs seemed to be filled with lead; no mater how fast she tried to move, she still felt too slow.

When she reached the medical bay with the others, she fought the urge to push them all aside and throw herself down beside him. She was nearly to the beside when she heard her name being called.

"Raven...Raven where are you?" Beast Boy's broken voice called. Raven slipped up to the side of the bed and took Beast Boy's hand in her own. She kissed it as a tear trickled down her cheek. He was lying on his back now, looking smaller in this bed than he had ever looked to her before.

"I'm here, Beast Boy," Raven murmured.

"I love you, Raven," Beast Boy managed, his voice little more than a hoarse whisper.

"I love you, too...Beast Boy? Beast Boy!" Raven cried out as his grip loosened. Seconds later, Beast Boy had slipped into a deep coma. Raven didn't know what to do. She was shocked beyond her tears. The sob that tore itself from her soul brought with it a numbness in her muscles. She collapsed to her knees there in the medical bay, still staring up at Beast Boy's hand lying limply over the side of the bed and the tears returned in full force. She felt it when Starfire, Torque, and Jinx knelt down around her, pulled her into their arms and cried with her. The boys just stood solemnly on the other side of the bed, not really sure how to react until the doors on the metal cabinets started to melt.

"Raven, no! Starfire, get her out of here!" Robin cried. The girls awkwardly stood and Starfire helped to shepherd a resistant and distraught Raven out of the medical bay.

"I can't leave him. He could wake up and I won't be there!" Raven cried through clenched teeth.

"You won't do him any good if you're like this!" Torque cried. One of the long wall panels started to turn black and melt and Jinx gasped.

"We have to get her out of the Tower. She'll bring the whole place down on our heads!" Jinx cried.

"Agreed, but where will we go?" Starfire asked.

"Anywhere! We need to get her outside before she melts a hole in the floor!" Torque replied. The girls' next destination was Starfire's garden.

Once they settled down in the cool grass, Raven's sorrow seemed to be ebbing at last. She was still crying, but instead of melting parts of the tower, two pumpkins and a watermelon were the newest victims of Raven's heart-wrenching sadness.

"We'll find a way to help him, Raven, don't you worry," Jinx soothed, lightly rubbing Raven's back in wide circles.

"You must have faith, my sister, Raven, that your betrothed will live," Starfire said as she lifted Raven's chin and used a handkerchief to wipe away the last of her tears. Torque only stood and observed the sunset. As the red, pink, orange and yellow were swallowed by purple blue and black, Torque finally turned to her friends.

"I think the ruckus has sufficiently died down now. Let's go back in," Torque said softly. She hoped that no one had seen the puffy red rims around her eyes. Once they returned, most of the team retired to bed, but Torque couldn't sleep. She took the thick, warm blankets from her bed and dragged them upstairs with her to the living area, where she curled up loosely on the couch and arranged the couch pillows to support her before tugging the blankets up over herself and picking up the remote. With over 300 channels to surf, one had to start sometime, right?

Two hours later, hearing that the television was still on, Robin and Cyborg tiptoed up to the living area. They had been downstairs trying to talk Raven into getting some sleep but were unsuccessful. As the two rounded the end of the couch, they spotted Torque asleep there, curled up against the cushions, knees tucked up and remote in hand. Cyborg had to smile.

"I think our girl Torque here is ready to be a Titan," Cyborg said.

"What makes you say that?" Robin asked.

"She's mastered sleepin' on the couch when she's too worried to sleep in her own bed," Cyborg explained.

"I don't get it," Robin said.

"Her bedroom is too quiet. She needed noise. Headphones don't work for every person, but the TV seems to work wonders for just about everybody," Cyborg said. "Since everything seems to be okay up here, this robot's goin' back to bed. Night y'all."

"Robin?" a drowsy voice muttered from beneath the blankets and pillows on the couch. Robin sat down next to her feet and smiled calmly.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

"How'd you guess? It's been a problem for a while. I've just gotten used to it," Torque shrugged. "I'm sorry I've been so weird about this whole thing with Beast Boy."

"We've all been a little weird; don't worry about it...You've lost someone, too, haven't you?" Robin asked. He had seen a very familiar look in Torque's eyes.

"Yeah. A lot of someones—in a really short space of time," Torque replied.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Robin asked gently. He didn't want to pry. Torque seemed to be forcing back the urge to be defensive. Robin admired her strength.

"All you need to know is that all that's left of my parents are two stars in a book in a federal building. My kid brother...my only brother, disappeared when I was ten...and Charlie...deep breath...my Charlie...was murdered saving my life last year." Torque replied, fighting back the tears she had been suppressing all this time.

"So...you're an orphan...like a lot of us are," Robin replied softly, looking into Torque's blue eyes. Then his head gained a curious tilt as he asked, "Would you consider staying here?"

"Me? Stay here? Be a 'Teen Titan'?" Torque replied mockingly. Half a second passed and her look softened. "You...would let me stay? After everything that chick Terra did to all of you, you guys would let me join the team so fast? I mean, I wouldn't blame you one bit if you tossed me out on my ear and told me never to—" Torque was interrupted when Robin placed his hand on hers.

"What went down with Terra is in the past. You've proven yourself to be a trustworthy and loyal friend and we would love nothing more than to keep you on the team...that is...if you want to. I mean, I would understand if you didn't want to or anything but seriously--" Robin replied. Torque smiled and covered Robin's hand with her free one.

"Everything and everyone I care about now is here. I'll stay."

"Glad to hear it," Robin said happily. Torque cracked a grin and gave Robin a look that made him smile too.

"Robin?"

"Hmm?"

"Shouldn't you be in bed right now? Starfire is bound to be missing you by now," Torque said, making the Boy Wonder blush all the way to his steel-toed shoes.

"You're probably right. Good night, Torque," Robin replied with a smile.

"Good night, Robin."


	14. Screaming Out Your Name

_Chapter 14: Screaming Out Your Name_

Downstairs in the medical bay, Raven was hovering near the bed in her inverted lotus position and trying to meditate. It was becoming difficult to concentrate when the man she loved was lying in a coma in the bed beside her. She desperately wracked her brain for some way to help him, but how? There had been a time when Beast Boy and Cyborg had accidentally found their way into her mind by using the mirror in her room that work? Raven returned to her feet and cautiously tiptoed downstairs to Beast Boy's room. Carefully, she used her powers to lift all of the clothes and toys strewn all over the floor and put them away. She had no idea if that was where he actually kept them, but she decided that it would all eventually wind up on the floor again anyway. For now, at least he could find the floor.

Raven located the mirror over Beast Boy's dresser and quietly looked at her reflection in it. She pushed back her hood and smoothed her hair. She looked rough. The battle and then finding Beast Boy in a coma had done a number on her. Raven cast aside thoughts of her appearance and concentrated on the mirror. Crossing her arms over her chest and closing her eyes, Raven felt herself being pulled forward and when she opened her eyes, she found herself once again in Beast Boy's room, but this time, the clothes and toys were everywhere again. Had she simply gone back in time? Then she heard a sound that reminded her of one of Beast Boy's games. She turned around and Beast Boy was lying on his stomach on the floor playing one of his video games. He looked up at her with eyes that betrayed unblemished innocence.

"Hi Raven! Wanna play?" he cried. He got up off the floor and Raven noticed that the colored stripe of his uniform was not purple but was now as blue as her cloak.

"You must be Beast Boy's inner child," Raven remarked, folding her arms over her chest. His face lit up with amazement.

"How'd you know?" he squealed. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Lucky guess," she managed before overwhelming sadness took over and her voice thickened with emotion. She couldn't seem to stop the tears again. She thought she could handle it, but seeing him awake and well was above and beyond her capacity just now. Raven sat down on the bottom bunk of Beast Boy's bed and let her head fall into her hands. Beast Boy's alter ego rushed over to her and dropped down at her feet.

"What's wrong? Why are you so sad?" he cried. Raven looked at him but the words wouldn't come. Beast Boy ran to one of the toy chests in the room and returned with a stuffed doll clad in blue.

"She looks just like you. I sleep with her every night because one of the other egos told me it would protect me from evil spirits. He gave it to me before he fell asleep. You can hold her if you want to," Beast Boy said. Raven took the doll from him and looked it over. Very nearly every detail had been thought of. Her painted face reflected Raven's world-weary expression, the cloak was of the same soft but sturdy material, and she had rooted dark blue hair. Suddenly Raven looked up at him and asked, "What do you mean he's asleep? Can you show me where the other egos are?" Beast Boy's face fell.

"I'll come with you. No one can hurt you as long as I'm here," Raven said. The child-like Beast Boy smiled widely and laughed for joy. Together, they pressed the button that opened the door and walked through.

On the other side was a desolate, chilly yard. Beast Boy clung to Raven's cloak and shook with fear.

"Now I remember why this scared me so much," Beast Boy whimpered. All at once, his bravery wore out and he retreated back to his room faster than Raven could call him back. Left alone to find out what was going on, Raven took a few cautious steps forward before she spotted a shape moving in the trees.

"Beast Boy?" she called. The lithe shape of her companion dropped down out of the nearby trees snarling and growling and startled her. She screamed and reared back a step or two before crying out, "Beast Boy, it's me!"

The figure stopped and then gave Raven a look of sheer pestilence. His unkind sneer was a look that Raven was unfamiliar with and she feigned confusion.

"What are you staring at?" he snapped. "You act like you've never seen me before!"

"I...but...you..."

"Oh now you can't manage a snappy comeback? You always seem to have one for every other time. It doesn't matter what I do, you've always had to make me feel like a dork." The new Beast Boy growled.

"I haven't always done that to you!" Raven cried in her own defense. "How can you say that?"

"Easy. I just did. Did you come just to mock me again or was there a decent reason this time?" Beast Boy grumbled. This Beast Boy had a dark crimson stripe on his uniform and his eyes were cold and almost malicious.

"Hurry it up, I'm getting tired and I need to get some sleep," Beast Boy snapped again.

"Where are the other alter egos?" Raven demanded. Beast Boy snorted.

"They don't like me," he said mockingly. "They all decided they were better than me. If you wanna leave that badly, the door's that way. Good luck." With this, the crimson Beast Boy leapt into the trees again and disappeared. Raven was left alone again. She stood for a moment and contemplated what she had just seen. Beast Boy had never taken that tone with her, and he certainly had never complained about her treatment of him: at least not to her face. She wasn't sure if perhaps the others on the team knew differently. A bit shaken, Raven proceeded to the next doorway and stepped once again into a completely different world.

Raven blinked to let her eyes adjust to the light. She had stepped into a sunlit meadow and in a nearby clearing was a tall four poster bed draped with gossamer fabric. On the bed, deep in a profound, dewy slumber was yet another of Beast Boy's alter egos. This one bore a stripe of cool coral colored fabric and Raven was tempted to simply let him rest; he looked so comfortable! The warm breeze ruffled his jade-colored hair and a smile played with his boyish good looks.

Raven took another step forward and lightly shook his shoulder. When this didn't wake him, she tried calling his name and shaking a bit harder. Slowly, this new alter ego opened his eyes and looked up at Raven. She expected him to be upset at being awakened, but instead she was greeted in a way she expected least of all.

"Raven? Oh, Raven, honey, I'm so glad you're here! Come sit down here with me!" Beast Boy crooned, taking her hand and coaxing her to sit. When she looked into his eyes, the love of a thousand lifetimes shined there. Lightly, he kissed her lips and then smiled.

"When was the last time I told you that you're beautiful?" he whispered. Raven swallowed hard. She bit her lip in an attempt to delay the inevitable tears but failed.

"Darling, what's wrong?" Beast Boy said, taking her into his arms. She told him the whole miserable story: the attack, Starfire finding him on the roof nearly beaten to death, and his coma.

"So that's why I've been so tired. I almost fell over the last time I got so exhausted. Almost didn't make it to my bed," Beast Boy stammered.

"I need your help to find the real Beast Boy," Raven sniffled. "The one that represents all of you put together."

"But why? He's asleep and none of us can wake him," Beast Boy said, rubbing her back.

"We have to try!" Raven demanded, her tears falling like fat raindrops onto her costume. Beast Boy produced a handkerchief and dried her eyes. "I'd give anything to get him back," she continued. Beast Boy pocketed the handkerchief and took a deep breath before looking her in the eyes.

"I don't like seeing you like this. It isn't right. I'll do whatever it takes to make you better, beloved. I'll help you find the other ego. He's closer than you think though," Beast Boy said, rising from the bed. He brought his hands together in front of him and focused his energies on the space around him. A brilliant light broke loose from him and all at once at least a dozen of Beast Boy's alter egos were present and came together in an explosion of white light. Raven shielded her eyes with her cloak until the blinding light dissipated. When she looked again there was only one Beast Boy lying in the tall grass. There was a white stripe in his uniform and no amount of shaking from Raven could wake him.

Fearing the worst, that she was too late, Raven took Beast Boy in her arms. Supporting his body weight with her right arm, Raven took Beast Boy's face in her other hand and leaned over him. She took a deep breath and kissed his mouth. When she pulled back, she looked carefully over his sleeping visage for signs of life. Seeing none, she leaned her cheek on his and whispered in his ear as she held him tight, "Come back to me, Beast back to me!"

Suddenly, Raven found herself back in Beast Boy's room. Afraid that something had gone wrong, Raven dashed back to the medical bay. When she entered the room, she was immediately startled by the beep of the monitors. Beast Boy's heart rate had dropped far below what it should be. Before Raven could call for help, the monitor shut itself off and Raven looked over at the screen to see that not only had Beast Boy's heart rate climbed back up to acceptable levels, it had climbed all the way back to normal. Raven went to Beast Boy's side and took his hand just in time to see him take a deep breath and blink his eyes open. Raven would never forget his waking words as long as she lived.

"Kiss me again. That was amazing," Beast Boy whispered. Raven laughed as she blinked back happy tears. Too thrilled for any sort of verbal comeback, Raven indulged his wish and passionately kissed him again. She remained there for the rest of the night, curled up beside him on the bed and providing him with anything he needed, as well as all the hugs and kisses he could handle. The other Titans would find them the next morning, Beast Boy cuddled into Raven's arms with his head pillowed against her shoulder and Raven contently asleep with her arms protectively around him. Deciding not to bother them just now, Robin and Cyborg pulled an extra blanket over the two and then tiptoed out of the room.

"I am so relieved!" Starfire murmured when the two boys emerged from the room.

"Raven's been through enough in the past year. I'm glad something good happened for a change," Cyborg said with a smile.

"C'mon. Let's go make some breakfast. Tofu eggs and bacon anybody?" Robin quipped. The others laughed softly and followed their fearless leader up to the kitchen.

* * *

_A/N: Before you all say anything: I know, this whole chapter **screams **Nevermore. It was supposed to. This whole chapter was supposed to be Nevermore BB style. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have been my devoted readers throughout the series and big hugs to those of you who are new on board! I love to hear from all of you. Special glomps go to Jestana for beta reading everything I write even if she doesn't always understand it_ _**-wink-** and to Arrendi, zerodog43, and Raven A. Star who I believe have been with me the longest! Thanks guys!_

_There will probably be just one more chapter before I wrap this one up. I have several other small projects I want to work on before I put out another piece of this saga. Oh! Did I tell you? The series will be under it's full name on my website when the site is complete. It will be called "Life has a Rhythm All its Own". I called it that due to all the song titles I used for chapter titles. squee! Thanks for reading!! Cielita _


	15. Let Me Be the Reason You Smile

_Chapter 15: Let Me be the Reason You Smile_

Beast Boy and Raven opened their eyes and nearly the same time. The sounds and smells of breakfast filled their senses and made their stomachs growl with hunger. Beast Boy took a deep breath and tightened his grip around Raven as he smiled. Raven smiled back and gently slipped out of the bed.

"The others must have been here. I don't remember this blanket being there last night," Raven said, folding the blanket with her powers. Beast Boy sat up with a wince.

"Are you okay?" Raven asked.

"Just stiff. Help me up?" Beast Boy replied. She gladly obliged, gently aiding him to his feet. Finding his balance, Beast Boy slowly let go of Raven's hand. Breathing a sigh of relief, he smiled and told Raven he would be up to the kitchen in a little while; he desperately needed a shower. Raven laughed softly and left for the kitchen. When she arrived, the scent of eggs, bacon, tofu eggs, orange juice and herbal tea filled her nostrils.

"Hi Raven...everything okay?" Robin asked, handing Torque her plate. Raven smiled softly as she told the team what had happened during the night.

"So, BB's gonna be okay?" Cyborg surmised. Raven nodded proudly.

"Mmm hmm," she replied.

"Yay!"

"Wahoo!"

"I can't believe it! You did it!"

"Glorious victory!" Starfire cried, throwing her arms around Raven.

"Easy, Star, I still have bruises from the last hug you gave me," Raven said good-naturedly. Minutes later, Beast Boy emerged into the kitchen, looking as though he felt much better. He was wearing a clean uniform and his emerald colored hair was still damp. He looked at his friends with wide, shining eyes and smiled. As if pulled by some inexorable pull of friendship, the rest of the team rushed to greet their recuperated friend.

"Easy, guys! My back is still a little sore!" Beast Boy laughed as they converged on him.

"We missed you, Beast Boy!"

"All right, BB!"

"Welcome back, little man!"

Beast Boy couldn't help a wide grin. It felt good to be loved. Once everyone had had a chance to hug him and pat him on the back, albeit gently, Beast Boy looked up over their shoulders to the only person who hadn't mobbed him when he entered: Raven—his Raven—graciously standing behind the others as they rejoiced over his return. Beast Boy slipped from the center of attention and went to her, pulled her into his arms and the two melted into a romantic kiss as they ignored the whoops, hoots and hollering of their teammates.

Months Later

When summer gave way to autumn, and the leaves rushed about on the wide steps of the church, two superheroes inside promised to love, honor, and cherish one another for better or for worse, in sickness and in health and for richer or poorer, as long as they both shall live. Their teammates stood by as they exchanged rings and finally kissed and then turned to face the congregation of their friends and families. Amid a roar of applause the two escaped into the open sunshine, laughing as their guests followed them out to the steps and threw birdseed as they ran for their car. Settling inside and waving like crazy, Raven and Beast Boy were off to enjoy their honeymoon—really—enjoy their honeymoon. For two weeks, the Tower was strangely quiet, that is, until Torque and Jinx went snooping into Raven's dresser drawers. Their covert mission was to discover if a specific item was missing. They weren't disappointed. In the first drawer they opened was a note penned in Raven's bold script:

"_Yes. I took it. Thanks again, ladies." _

Torque and Jinx had to sit down. They were laughing so hard tears streamed from their eyes.

_Are you lost yet? If you haven't figured it out, go back to chapter 8 and re-read the part right after Robin and Star are on their way to Tamaran. Still don't get it? -Giggle- I'll tell you in the forward to the next story. _


End file.
